Brazilian to become first head of Interpol from developing world
- Brazilian police official Valdecy Urquiza will succeed Juergen Stock of Germany to lead Interpol
Interpol’s executive committee for the first time elected a police official from a developing nation to head the international police agency, Valdecy Urquiza from Brazil.
Urquiza, 43, who is currently Interpol’s vice-president for the Americas and head of international cooperation at the Brazilian federal police, will succeed Juergen Stock of Germany to lead Interpol from 2025 to 2030.
Urquiza, a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, received eight votes against two for Britain’s candidate Stephen Kavanagh and one for Mubita Nawa from Zambia.
His election must be ratified by Interpol’s general assembly in November in Glasgow, the Brazilian government said in a statement. The assembly has always followed the committee’s recommendations for secretary general.
“This is recognition of Brazil’s neutrality,” Urquiza told reporters on Tuesday after his election at the agency’s headquarters in Lyon, France. “Interpol has much to gain from diversity and the experience of other countries,” he said.
