Additional Context: This quote was obtained by Human Rights Watch, or HRW, in an April 2025 interview with a Venezuelan journalist who chose to remain anonymous. HRW notes that U.S. aid cuts coincided with a wave of media repression in Venezuela following the 2024 presidential election, after which the national telecommunications authority ordered the closure of 23 media outlets, with 21 of them radio stations. Journalists report that U.S. aid cuts forced reporting to operate in an increasingly hostile environment under constrained bugets, making staff more vulnerable to persecution and arbitrary arrest.

The journalist added that while private corporations have stepped in to fill some of the funding gaps, companies fear advertising on media outlets targeted by the government due to the possibility of retaliation. This, in addition to other donor reductions, has created difficulty sustaining independent media outlets in the country beyond the cuts.

Devex Researcher Note: While funding values are not discriminated by country and recipient for security reasons, the Americas were the region most impacted by U.S. government funding cuts to media, affecting around 450 projects in 22 countries.

Source: Human Rights Watch