A journalist working in an independent Venezuelan media outlet said: “The Trump administration did for Maduro what Maduro himself couldn’t: dismantle NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] and independent media. [He] doesn't even need to enforce [the laws against civil society and independent media]—Trump finished the job for him.”
Date: 4/25
Region: Latin America & Caribbean
Country: Venezuela
Topic: Governance & Rights
Policy Lens: Democracy & Governance
Entry Type: Field Observation
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 persecution and arbitrary arrest.
Devex Researcher Note: While funding information for Venezuelan media outlets is not public for security reasons, the Americas were the region most impacted by U.S. funding cuts to media organizations, affecting around 450 projects in 22 countries.
Source: Human Rights Watch