Possible closure of U.S International Development agency threatens programs in Cuenca
The possible closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) could have major negative impacts on several local projects. Last week, newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the temporary suspension of all USAID funding and indicated that the agency may be shut down entirely.
A number of cultural and educational programs in Cuenca have depended on USAID funding. (El Mercurio)
In Cuenca, USAID funds support various education, human mobility, language, and cultural projects, some of which have already been affected.
USAID’s offices in Washington were closed on Monday, and agency employees in Washington, D.C., received emails instructing them to stay home until further notice.
Christian Méndez, leader of the project “Voices: Defending Rights, Weaving Community” of the Italian foundation International Cooperation (COOPI), explained that the project initially received funding from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). However, resources were later channeled through the Population, Refugees, and Migration Program (BPRM) via USAID.
“This project operated in Cuenca, Huaquillas, and Lago Agrio. We were working with 95 adolescents, indirectly benefiting approximately 360 families,” said Méndez, though he refrained from specifying the amount of funding received.
The program aimed to provide training in youth leadership, community integration, and the prevention of gender-based violence.
The suspension notice arrived on January 24, 2025, forcing the organization to halt activities, lay off staff by January 31, and prematurely end the program’s operations, which was originally scheduled to conclude in March. Plans to expand the initiative to other cities have also been put on hold.
Karla Sanchez, director of the GRACE Foundation (Give Refugees a Chance), expressed similar concern over USAID’s possible closure, but said her foundation has not depended in USAID in the past and doesn’t expect to in the future. She said GRACE was in the process of applying for funding to organize a youth symphony, but added the application was not completed.
“Our work has always been sustained by the generous donations of U.S. expats in Cuenca and around the world, as well as the revenue we generate internally through our services and the sale of organic vanilla,” Sanchez said.
Additionally, USAID-funded English scholarship programs in Cuenca have been suspended. The U.S. Embassy is currently assessing which programs may continue.
In Ecuador, USAID has operated since 1961 on economic, social, and environmental projects, though its presence has been inconsistent.
In 2014, during the administration of President Rafael Correa, the agency closed its offices amid accusations of financing government opposition groups. It returned to service in 2019 under President LenÃn Moreno, collaborating in areas such as security, environmental protection, and healthcare.
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Source: El Mercurio
