IMF staffers call for managing director’s explanation after softened Brazil alert

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The petition, signed by the Washington-based fund’s staff of 194, was sent by the IMF ombudsman to Georgieva’s office on Monday, according to an internal fund email seen by Bloomberg News.

“We, the undersigned staff, would like to express our concerns regarding a matter that is dear to our hearts: respect for the rules and procedures that safeguard the staff’s technical independence,” they wrote.

The number of signatories is equivalent to some 7% of the IMF’s 2,700 global staff. Such petitions are uncommon in the organization’s recent history, according to people familiar with the fund’s operations, who asked not to be identified.

The move comes after Bloomberg News reported on October 8 that fund officials, including Georgieva, who has made climate change a hallmark, softened their message about Brazil after the government of President Jair Bolsonaro objected to the language used.

The decision, made in late July, involved the IMF’s main annual assessment, known as Article IV consultation for Latin America’s largest economy. Managers initially gave their seal of approval to the team’s report on July 30, only to revoke it hours later and subsequently remove the wording challenged by Brazil, IMF officials confirmed earlier this month when asked about it by Bloomberg News.

“Management assured the team that all fund policies and procedures were followed with respect to Brazil’s Article IV consultation and answered in detail all questions raised,” IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said Tuesday in an e-mailed reply.

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