The consequences of the freezing of USAID´s funds continue to reverberate around the world from different angles. While in countries such as Burkina Faso and Sudan, issues such as access to drinking water or the permanence of a critical supply of subsidized bread, respectively, are of concern, in others such as Colombia, alarms are raised about the impact of U.S. assistance on issues such as rural security in coca-growing municipalities and in general for operations against drug trafficking. Attention to the thousands of Venezuelan migrants relocated in the border department of La Guajira is extremely hard hit because of the freezing, according to the governor there, who added that USAID was so far assisting in 12 collaborative projects with them.
For the fiscal year 2024, the U.S. Congress approved $37 million for Colombia under the “Foreign Military Financing Program”, subject to the certification of certain conditions by the Secretary of State. In addition, some $77 million was budgeted under the heading “Development Assistance”, $129 million from the political “Economic Support Fund”—aimed at protecting, for example, certain vulnerable communities and generally “advancing human rights”—, and $134,500,000 under the heading “International Narcotics Control And Law Enforcement”. All of this adds up to nearly $380 million in assistance to Colombia, the largest recipient of U.S. federal funds in the region.
However, the Republican pen of Cuban-origin Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, who governs the drafting of the State Department appropriations bill, had already written into law the Trump administration's perspective on whether any country is worth supporting: how much does this eventual outflow of Treasury funds contribute to the U.S. national interest? Surely the DEI-related projects outlined here implemented in Grenada, St. Vincent, and Trinidad and Tobago will not fit the Republican rationale. Trump said yesterday that he would let Rubio deal with “the few good” projects that would deserve to be restarted. Although Foggy Bottom's flamboyant new boss has arranged some waivers, in practice many programs presumably already exempt from the funding freeze continue to be held up.
The Cuban case
The island is an atypical case in that the only “support” it has received from USAID in 66 years has been for “democracy promotion”, i.e. regime change. Since 1996 in particular, USAID and the State Department have managed more than $400 million in federal funds for investment in the business of “democracy-building” projects. The Cuban government views these efforts as blatant interference in the nation's internal affairs, and as such they are considered illegal, and Cuban citizens who collaborate with them may be subject to criminal sanction. Then, what this pause in U.S. funding has revealed in this case is the disqualifying dependence of certain media outlets on Washington's support, exposing the link long denounced by Havana. Now they are openly begging for funds online. For fiscal year 2024, Congress appropriated $25 million for the Cuba Democracy Program.
The X quick section
2025 has started as a tragic year all over the world, also in Latin America. The current figure for this new tragedy is already at 55.
Venezuela
First this 👇
Florida tycoon is behind oil-for-migrants deal U.S. reached with Venezuelan strongman https://t.co/xOTBgThEgv
— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) February 7, 2025
Then this 👇. So?
Repatriation flights to Venezuela have resumed, with Ambassador @RichardGrenell overseeing the first two flights.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 10, 2025
MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. 🇺🇸✈️ pic.twitter.com/ZAUpwFjhIk
Brazil gets caught up in Trump's tariff nightmare 👇.
President Trump imposes a 25% tariff on aluminum imports.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 10, 2025
President Trump will ALWAYS protect critical American industry. pic.twitter.com/VWsCYYJPI7
Weird 👇
Google Maps alternates between Gulf of Mexico/America depending on how far you’re zoomed in pic.twitter.com/UC6LVMI2pC
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) February 10, 2025
Posted Using INLEO
