There was no turning back. Despite a wave of protests sparked by the announcement of the suspension of American aid on January 20, just after Donald Trump took office for his second term at the White House, the decision was implemented without the hesitation he has sometimes shown, as in his conduct of the country’s trade war with the rest of the world.
On March 10, without waiting for the end of the 90-day freeze intended to review the use of funds committed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington confirmed that 83% of programs would be abandoned and that the independent agency, created in 1961, would be closed. The agency officially shut its doors on July 1, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio took the opportunity to eliminate any remaining doubts about the US determination to break with the policy previously pursued by what had been the largest donor of official development assistance.
“Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO Industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War. Development objectives have rarely been met, instability has often worsened, and anti-American sentiment has only grown. Americans should not pay taxes to fund failing governments in faraway lands,” he said, singling out Africa, which, in his view, has shown particularly little gratitude for American generosity.
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