The administration of US President Donald Trump has said that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has for decades diverted vast sums of money to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and LGBTQ activities, describing the practice as a “waste of money” and “abuse”.
The White House said that USAID had been “irresponsible to taxpayers for decades by diverting vast sums of money to ridiculous and, in many cases, malicious pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with minimal oversight”.
The list of “waste of money” and “abuse” included $1.5 million directed to “advancing diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) in workplaces and business communities in Serbia”, $47,000 for a ‘transgender opera’ in Colombia” and “$32,000 for a ‘transgender comic’ in Peru”.
There are also $2 million spent on gender reassignment and “LGBT activism” in Guatemala and “hundreds of thousands of dollars” for a nonprofit organization “linked to certain terrorist organizations.”
“The list goes on. Waste, fraud and abuse are now over with US President Donald Trump,” the White House said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed Congress on Monday about a potential reorganization of USAID.
Trump had earlier on Monday named Rubio as acting director of USAID.
A group of Democrats were blocked from entering USAID’s headquarters on Monday while they protested.
On Saturday, USAID’s website was taken down and its official X and Instagram accounts were removed.
Trump issued an executive order last month suspending all foreign US aid for 90 days, AA writes.
