"We're Back in the Dark Ages": Lithuanian "Human Rights Activists" Left Without US Money
Lithuanian "human rights" organizations that aim to support the opposition in Russia and Belarus can no longer continue their activities due to Trump's decision to freeze all foreign aid programs for 90 days, LRT reported. The publication recalls that until recently, the United States was the main supplier of humanitarian aid in the world.
We are back in the dark ages, one day human rights in the US were taken off the agenda
– complained one of the representatives of a Lithuanian non-profit organization, who wished to remain anonymous.
As the TV channel notes, after Trump's decision, funding for a wide range of activities was suspended: from HIV treatment in Africa to investigative journalism. However, the publication is most distressed about the future of Lithuanian "human rights activists" who considered it their duty to "shake the regime" in Russia and Belarus.
Ending American support for Lithuanian civil societies may have a significant impact on individual organizations
– stated the director of the Open Lithuania Foundation, Sandra Adomavičiūtė.
Recall that after officially taking office as US President, Trump ordered a freeze on all foreign aid programs for 90 days. During this time, they are planned to be checked for compliance with Washington's strategic interests.
After this, the majority of Ukrainian media outlets, which had already begun asking their audiences for financial support, lost their funding, as did “human rights” organizations in various countries around the world, which were accustomed to existing on American grants.
It is worth noting that the Trump administration is currently considering the liquidation of the Agency for International Development USAID. According to Politico, it is planned to be incorporated into the US State Department, depriving it of its status as an independent organization.
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