U.S. Ends Aid Supporting Opposition To Latin American Authoritarians: Report

The State Department has reportedly canceled foreign aid programs supporting opposition to authoritarian governments in Latin American countries after concluding that they were not in the "national interest" of the United States.

Concretely, the cancellations affected projects assisting political prisoners in Cuba, church groups opposing Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, and activists challenging Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro.

The programs were managed by the International Republican Institute and funded by USAID. All but three of the institute's 95 programs were canceled. The remaining ones, which involve Venezuela, have been put on hold due to a prior executive order freezing all foreign aid funds for 90 days. The Institute's other 175 programs worldwide are uncertain, as they rely on funding from the National Endowment for Democracy, which has yet to receive its congressional appropriation, the Miami Herald explained.

The National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute's counterpart, is facing similar cuts, with only one program in Venezuela still active. Several employees at these organizations and other foreign aid groups have been furloughed.

Independent Cuban media has also been affected. Miami-based Cubanet lost its USAID funding, and other outlets depending on the National Endowment for Democracy face uncertainty. The outlet recalled that the White House's Rapid Response account on X recently cited a $1.5 million grant to rebuild Cuban media as an example of what it called "ridiculous" USAID programs.

During a Senate hearing Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott expressed skepticism about foreign aid's effectiveness, pointing to ongoing repression in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.

International Republican Institute President Daniel Twining reportedly said the cuts would benefit authoritarian governments by weakening opposition networks and leaving activists vulnerable to state repression. At least 40 organizations in Latin America have already shut down due to the funding halt.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, argued that these cuts contradict other administration goals, particularly efforts to counter China's influence in the region.

Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, on her end, told the outlet that she's been "clear about this and asked the Trump administration to quickly reinstate Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela programs that align with our national security interests."

Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schulz, on her end, said it's "unthinkable that House Republicans just stand by as Trump guts decades of investments in Cuban and Venezuelan democracy programs."

President Donald Trump's Latin America envoy, Mauricio Claver-Carone, recently addressed plans to deal with Cuba, saying the administration will get "very creative" to achieve leadership changes in the country.