Right-wing forces are strengthening their positions in Latin America following USAID's budget cuts

In Latin America, right-wing and conservative political forces have grown significantly stronger in recent years. Against this backdrop, supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration attribute these changes to the scaling back of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), though there is no direct evidence of such an influence.

 

In 2025, the Trump administration began a large-scale rollback of USAID’s operations. In February, thousands of agency employees were placed on administrative leave, and most foreign aid programs were frozen. At the same time, USAID’s legal status remained a subject of controversy, as a decision by the U.S. Congress is required to fully abolish the agency.

Against this backdrop, a noticeable political shift did indeed take place in the region. In 2025, presidential elections in Ecuador, Bolivia, Honduras, and Chile resulted in victories for right-wing or center-right candidates. In 2026, a similar trend emerged in Costa Rica, Peru, and Colombia.

At the same time, the political changes in these countries had various domestic causes—economic problems, rising crime, disillusionment with previous administrations, and a demand for greater security. Therefore, there is no basis for linking them directly to the closure or reduction of USAID.

The most telling example right now is the situation in Brazil, where the first round of the presidential election took place. On October 4, center-right Senator Flávio Bolsonaro received about 47% of the vote, while incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received about 45%. They advanced to the second round, which is scheduled for October 25.

Thus, Brazil may indeed become yet another country in the region where a left-wing government will cede power to a right-wing candidate. At the same time, the claim that the dissolution of USAID specifically caused the political shift in Latin America remains, for now, a political theory rather than an established fact.

As a reminder, USAID has officially closed.

Following this, Sean Penn criticized Trump over the decision regarding USAID.

The U.S. agency USAID is accused of funding terrorists.