USAID in Latin America: More Than Just Aid

The USAID operations in Latin America, which are overseen by what is known as

 the “Office of Transition Initiatives” (OTI), is a way for the U.S. to promote its 

interests through soft power.

After being expelled from numerous Latin American countries for dubious activity, the

 United States organization USAID has developed a reputation of an organization that

 while providing aid is also developing ways to undermine governments in a number of 

the continent’s countries.

According to their website, USAID's mission is “furthering America's interests, while 

improving lives in the developing world.” However in practice, they may well be furthering

 the United States interests, but not by improving lives in the developing world but by

 supporting the activities of groups that are opposed to democratically elected governments.

The most recent damning revelations are that the agency not only had attempted to create 

a twitter style social media network in Cuba to undermine the government, but on top of 

this an Obama administration program secretly dispatched young Latin Americans to

 Cuba using the cover of health and civic programs to provoke political change in order

 to overthrow Castro’s government, which the United States has been trying to do for

 over 50 years now, with no success.

After it was revealed that USAID had been interfering in Cuba, the House Oversight and 

Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz said, “That is not what USAID should be

 doing ... USAID is flying the American flag and should be recognized around the globe

 as an honest broker of doing good. If they start participating in covert, subversive 

activities, the credibility of the United States is diminished."

But USAID’s track record of engaging in subversive activities is a long one, and U.S.

 credibility as an “honest broker” was lost many years ago.

The U.S. calls these projects aiding in “transition”, whereas in reality it is nothing but meddling in the internal affairs of sovereign nations. They work with many different NGOs and private companies, all under the guise of providing aid to developing nations.

The USAID operations in Latin America, which

 are overseen by what is known as the “Office of 

Transition Initiatives” (OTI), is a way for the U.S.

 to promote its interests through soft power. The

 U.S. calls these projects aiding in “transition”, 

whereas in reality it is nothing but meddling in the 

internal affairs of sovereign nations. They work

 with many different NGOs and private companies, 

all under the guise of providing aid to developing nations.

USAID have engaged in activities to undermine democratically elected governments in 

Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia and Haiti and interfered in Brazil, Ecuador and most likely

 other nations.

Venezuela

In Venezuela recently released government documents show that USAID played a central

 role in funding and working with groups and individuals who were responsible for the 

2002 coup d’etat against President Hugo Chavez.

A Wikileaks cable from November 2006 shows their opposition to the Venezuelan

 government.

During his 8 years in power, President Chavez has systematically dismantled the 

institutions of democracy and governance. The USAID/OTI program objectives in

 Venezuela focus on strengthening democratic institutions and spaces through

 non-partisan cooperation with many sectors of Venezuelan society.

Another cable shows that under Obama USAID was openly supporting the destabilizing

 opposition. A State Department cable from November 2006 shows how the USAID 

was related to undermining (“strengthening”) democratic activity.

(S) In August of 2004, Ambassador outlined the country team's 5 point strategy to

 guide embassy activities in Venezuela for the period 2004 ) 2006 (specifically, from

 the referendum to the 2006 presidential elections). The strategy's focus is: 1) 

Strengthening Democratic Institutions, 2) Penetrating Chavez' Political Base, 

3) Dividing Chavismo, 4) Protecting Vital US business, and 5) Isolating Chavez

 internationally.

It was further added that the anti-Chavez protesters “are our grantees,”  and it was further

 revealed that partners of USAID in Venezuela's fifth biggest city, Barquisimeto were

 planning on "shut[ting] down [a] city."

And this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg, with thousand more cables from the

 United States embassy in Caracas showing communication with an aid for opposition 

leaders and groups. Among these, the United States has supported radical opposition

 leader Maria Corina Machado, who along with opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez

 launched “La Salida” campaign in January with the goal of forcing democratically

 elected president Nicolas Maduro from office, promising to “create chaos in the streets.”

Bolivia

Bolivia was forced to expel USAID from the country after supporting campaigns against the democratically elected government of Evo Morales and refusing to disclose whom it

 was funding in the nation. A recent Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)

 report on USAID activities in Haiti concluded, U.S. aid often goes into a “black box” 

where it becomes impossible to determine who the ultimate recipients actually are.

The organization has poured in $85 million into the country and has strong links with the separatists from the wealthy Santa Cruz district, traditionally opposing Evo Morales.

 Interestingly, it should be noted after the expulsion, the Santa Cruz region voted for 

Evo Morales for the first time showing the strong possibility of USAID's waning influence

Further, the organization had previously been caught tasking Peace Corps volunteers

 and Fulbright scholars in the country to engage in espionage. Documents obtained by

 journalist Jeremy Bigwood show that as early as 2002, USAID funded a “Political 

Party Reform Project,” which sought to “serve as a counterweight to the radical 

MAS [Morales’ political party] or its successors.”
Years after, USAID started a program “to provide support to fledgling regional 

governments”, many of which were involved in destabilization campaigns in 

September of 2008.

Ecuador

USAID have also withdrawn from Ecuador after battles with the government of Rafael

 Correa over where there funding went. The agency refused to send any funding to 

Ecuadorian agencies, and instead chose their own private companies, which the

 Ecuadorian government refused.

Recent revelations have also shown that the National Endowment for Democracy, 

which is funnelled through USAID was paying the Ecuadorian journalist Juan Carlos

 Calderon a monthly salary of US$ 24,000 for doing its bidding. It is part of a larger 

network of international journalists from Colombia to Costa Rica who were being funded 

to criticize the government of President Correa.  The journalism group, GALI who calls

 for freedom of speech, but funded by USAID partners accusing Correa of being 

“Big Brother” and directly critizing the President's action against the El Universo paper

 which falsely claimed he was a liar.

The Washington agency directed US$263,000 to NGOs whose aim was
“freedom of expression”, then immediately after Ecuador was on the United States
 “black list” for not assuring freedom of expression.

Not long after, President Correa of Ecuador stated that he was writing up new rules for USAID engagement in the country and that “If they don’t want to follow them, then

 ‘So long.’”

ALBA resolution against USAID

The Latin American nations are not passive in their fight against the interference of

 USAID. In June 2012, foreign ministers of the anti-imperialist Bolivarian Alliance for

 the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) bloc of countries passed a resolution on USAID. 

Parts of the resolution stated that “USAID openly meddles in sovereign countries'

 domestic affairs sponsoring NGOs and protest activities intended to destabilize 

legitimate governments which are unfavourable from Washington’s perspective.”

ALBA is “convinced that our countries have no need for external financial support to 

maintain the democracy” that USAID provides, and no need for them to be part of the

 region.

The ministers called the ALBA leaderships to immediately deport USAID representatives

 who threaten the sovereignty and political stability of the countries where they work.

The resolution is a necessary bulwark against the institution, but it's unlikely that

 USAID will reform. USAID has axed some of its programs in recent times, and shut

 down offices in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica and Panama, but the budget 

still remains at US$750 million.

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/USAIDin-Latin-America-More-Than-Just-Aid-20141027-0055.html