Before I start, there are too many fucking examples to list. I would just like to point out to the uninitiated how massive it is that the orange man axed USAID
USAID, founded in 1961 during the Cold War, has long been criticized for tying financial assistance to neoliberal economic reforms. Countries seeking aid are often pressured to privatize industries, deregulate markets, and cut social programs—policies that directly contradict socialist or leftist principles of wealth redistribution and public ownership.
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Chile (1970s): After Salvador Allende’s socialist government was democratically elected in 1970, USAID funneled millions to opposition groups, unions, and media outlets critical of Allende. This destabilization campaign, alongside CIA efforts, helped pave the way for Augusto Pinochet’s U.S.-backed coup in 1973.
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Bolivia (2000s): Under Evo Morales, Bolivia nationalized key industries like gas and oil. USAID responded by funding regional opposition groups in wealthier, conservative-led departments like Santa Cruz, exacerbating tensions that led to protests and attempts to delegitimize Morales’ government.
Funding Opposition Groups and "Democracy Promotion"
Organizations like the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and USAID routinely finance NGOs, media outlets, and political parties that oppose leftist governments. These groups often frame their work as “promoting democracy,” but critics argue they advance U.S.-aligned regimes.
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Venezuela: Since Hugo Chávez’s rise, USAID and NED have spent tens of millions funding opposition parties, student groups, and media. Leaked documents reveal strategies to "penetrate Chávez’s political base" and undermine his socialist policies.
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Nicaragua: During the Sandinista era, USAID openly funded Contra rebels (later linked to CIA-backed death squads). Today, it supports groups opposing Daniel Ortega’s government, despite his popular social programs.
Undermining Grassroots Movements
By flooding countries with foreign-funded NGOs, USAID often sidelines homegrown leftist movements. These NGOs prioritize issues framed through a neoliberal lens (e.g., “good governance” or “free markets”) while marginalizing systemic critiques of capitalism or imperialism.
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Haiti: After the 2004 U.S.-backed coup against Jean-Bertrand Aristide (a leftist priest-turned-president), USAID poured money into NGOs that effectively replaced state functions, weakening Haiti’s ability to build independent institutions. Critics call this the "NGO Republic of Haiti."
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Eastern Europe: Post-USSR, USAID-backed NGOs promoted shock therapy capitalism in countries like Russia, contributing to inequality and public disillusionment with leftist ideas.
Cultural Imperialism and Ideological Warfare
USAID and similar agencies export not just money but ideology. Programs often train activists, journalists, and politicians in pro-Western values, framing socialism as inherently authoritarian and capitalism as the only path to “freedom.”
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Cuba: USAID’s clandestine projects, like the 2009 “Cuban Twitter” (ZunZuneo), aimed to create dissent by circumventing state media. Other programs recruited Cuban artists and bloggers to criticize the government subtly.
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Africa: During the Cold War, USAID supported anti-communist regimes in Zaire (Mobutu) and Angola (UNITA rebels), while contemporary programs emphasize “market solutions” over public sector-led development.
Exploiting Crises to Push Privatization
Natural disasters and economic crises become opportunities for USAID to push privatization. Post-disaster aid frequently comes with strings attached, such as demands for austerity or corporate-friendly policies.
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Haiti Earthquake (2010): Less than 1% of USAID’s relief funds went directly to Haitian organizations. Most contracts went to U.S. firms, while reconstruction plans prioritized export industries over local needs.
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Greece (2010s): During the debt crisis, USAID partners advocated for privatization of public assets—a direct attack on leftist efforts to resist austerity.
