Historic Election: Brazil's Valdecy Urquiza to Lead Interpol

For the first time, Interpol's executive committee has elected Valdecy Urquiza from Brazil to head the international police agency. Urquiza, a graduate of the FBI National Academy, will succeed Juergen Stock from Germany and lead Interpol from 2025 to 2030. His election highlights the need for diversity and plurality within the organization.

Interpol's executive committee on Tuesday for the first time elected a police official from a developing nation to head the international police agency, Valdecy Urquiza from Brazil. Urquiza, 43, is currently 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 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. Interpol, headquartered in Lyon, France, is the world's largest police organization with 196 member countries.

In its 100 years, Interpol has been run by men from just five developed Western countries, four in Europe and the U.S. "The organization runs the risk of losing credibility and legitimacy if it isolates itself. What we need for Interpol's success is plurality. We need all countries to feel included, for all regions to be served," Urquiza told Reuters in an interview in February.

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