ROOKE: Something Weird Keeps Happening Now That Trump Neutered USAID

Photo by Ken Cedeno / AFP via Getty Images

Following the Trump administration’s aggressive restructuring of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a striking pattern emerged across Latin America. Left-wing governments, long dominant in several countries, suddenly stopped winning national elections.

Center-right and conservative presidential candidates have swept to victory in Bolivia, Chile, Honduras, Costa Rica, Peru, and Colombia since Trump ordered the cancellation of the bulk of USAID’s programs. While it’s normal to see some political pendulum swinging, the speed and uniformity of the recent shift, coinciding with President Donald Trump neutering USAID’s democracy and governance funding apparatus, raise uncomfortable questions.

On day one of Trump’s second term, he signed an executive order pausing most foreign assistance as a first shot across the bow. USAID eventually ceased independent operations and was effectively absorbed under the State Department. Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw the cancellation of approximately 83 percent of USAID programs, which were worth tens of billions of dollars.

“After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID. The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States,” Rubio said.

After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID. The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of........

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