CV NEWS FEED // The United States has significantly scaled back its foreign aid efforts in three countries widely considered to be under the control of authoritarian regimes — Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela — cutting off funding for programs that supported political prisoners, opposition activists, and religious groups.
The State Department determined that these initiatives were not “in the national interest,” according to Havana Times’ March 6 translation of Confidencial’s report.
The decision resulted in the cancellation of 92 out of 95 programs previously run by the International Republican Institute (IRI) in the region. The remaining three programs, which focus on Venezuela, were not immediately canceled but placed on hold following President Donald Trump’s executive order suspending foreign aid funding for 90 days.
The funding cuts have left IRI’s future uncertain. In a call with congressional staff representing Florida, home to the largest Cuban, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan communities in the U.S., IRI leaders reportedly warned that the organization would not be able to survive much longer without funding, estimating it could last only a few more weeks.
IRI President Daniel Twining reportedly said on the call that “cuts to democracy promotion would only benefit dictators in places like Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.”
In addition to these cancellations, 175 other IRI programs worldwide have been put on uncertain footing because they rely on funding from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which has not been able to access its government-allocated funds.
The National Democratic Institute (NDI), the IRI’s Democratic counterpart in promoting democracy abroad, is facing a similar situation, having lost funding for nearly 100 programs, with only one remaining active in Venezuela.
Many employees working on these initiatives — including those at IRI, NED, and NDI — have been placed on leave, while some have lost their jobs entirely, according to Havana Times.
The aid cancellations come as religious freedom and political opposition continue to face growing suppression in Nicaragua, where President Daniel Ortega’s government has targeted the Catholic Church and forced religious organizations out of the country. CatholicVote has previously reported on the expulsion of religious sisters, the exile of bishops, and a ban on priests administering Last Rites in hospitals.
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