This move, backed by Trump, has drawn criticism from both political opponents and international allies concerned about the impact on global stability.
Washington, Feb. 26 (EFE) - The government of U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that it would reduce its international cooperation programs by 92 percent, amounting to nearly $60 billion.
In a statement, the State Department said this decision was made following a process led by the management of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with certain sections personally reviewed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“At the conclusion of a process led by USAID leadership, including tranches personally reviewed by Secretary Marco Rubio, nearly 5,800 awards with a value of $54 billion were identified for elimination as part of the America First agenda—resulting in a 92 percent reduction,” the statement said.
Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court also ordered the cancellation of 28 percent of grants, totaling $4.4 billion.
The dismantling of USAID has been one of the priorities of the Trump administration’s budget cuts, supported by technology magnate Elon Musk, who leads an office called the Department of Government Efficiency.
On Sunday, around 2,000 USAID employees were fired, with thousands more placed on administrative leave.
The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily suspended a lower court’s deadline that required the Trump administration to resume payments of approximately $2 billion in foreign aid before midnight.
The order, issued by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, is temporary and allows the Court time to resolve the matter.
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