United States: USAID scandal – Benin Web TV

For the past few days, an unprecedented audit has been shaking American institutions. Donald Trump, with the support of Elon Musk, launched a real investigation into the use of public funds by government agencies. Among the first targets: the agency of the United States for International Development (USAID), which manages a colossal budget oscillating between 40 and 50 billion dollars annually.

USAID, supposed to finance development and humanitarian aid around the world, is found today at the center of a controversial expenditure scandal. According to the first results of the audit, tens of millions of dollars were paid to influential media. THE New York Times would have received $ 50 million from various government sources, including $ 26.9 million from the Ministry of Health and Social Services. L’Associated Press would have received $ 19.5 million in government contracts, and Reuters 9 million from the Ministry of Defense to combat “social engineering”. Even the BbcBritish public channel, would have obtained $ 3.3 million from American taxpayers.

In addition to these massive media funding, the audit reveals surprising subsidies. USAID would have paid $ 1.5 million to an LGBT group in Serbia, 2 million for sex change operations in Guatemala, and 20 million to produce a version of Sesame Street in Iraq. The agency would also have financed $ 10 million a group affiliated to Al-nosraa branch of Al-Qaida in Syria.

100 billion dollars to fictitious individuals

Another striking figure: $ 5 billion would have been allocated to Gaviorganization linked to Bill Gates and main donor of the World Health Organization. This funding is planned to last until 2030. The survey also highlighted the Department of the US Treasury, which would pay $ 100 billion to unidentified individuals each year, without social security number or identity document. According to Musk, half of these payments are fraudulent.

The extent of the revelations exceeds only American institutions. The France-Presse agency would have received $ 8 million from theUS Agency for Global Mediaorganization responsible for supervision of American international media. Funding would have increased sharply under the Biden administration.

Faced with these revelations, questions arise: why are such sums injected into projects with controversial purposes? Why do American taxpayers massively finance initiatives abroad without apparent control?

Note that President Donald Trump, with the support of Elon Musk, recently undertook a radical restructuring of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), invoking allegations of abusive expenditure and mismanagement. This initiative has aroused various reactions, both within the American government and on the international scene.

Political and judicial reactions

The decision to dismantle USAID caused concerns, including within the Republican Party. Some members fear that the elimination of programs deemed essential can affect national security and reduce the influence of the United States in the face of powers like China. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, expressed his intention to preserve certain crucial programs.

In addition, a federal judge temporarily blocked the drastic reduction in the workforce of the USAID, stressing the absence of solid evidence to support the allegations of massive fraud within the agency.

Humanitarian organizations, such as Caritas of the Vatican, have firmly condemned the USAID budget cuts, warning that millions of people could be plunged into poverty or losing their lives due to the suspension of vital programs.

In addition, the suspension of American foreign aid has sowed confusion among European NGOs, which partly depend on these funding to carry out their humanitarian missions.