The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has condemned the recent decision by the Trump administration to suspend funding for US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs for 90 days, calling it a reflection of the growing political crisis in the United States. The move, the CPP asserts, is part of the new regime’s broader attempt to consolidate control over the bureaucracy and reallocate resources to serve its own oligarchic interests and ultra-conservative agenda.
The CPP argues that USAID has long functioned as a tool of US imperialism, disguised as humanitarian or economic assistance but ultimately designed to maintain US global dominance. The Party denounces USAID’s role in promoting neoliberal economic policies, facilitating US corporate expansion, and advancing military and security interests under the guise of foreign aid.
According to the CPP, the USAID budget—amounting to around $30 billion in 2024—is negligible compared to the staggering $886 billion allocated for US defense spending. In the Philippines, USAID programs have received approximately $300 million annually since 2001, which US officials have openly described as “strategic investments” to maintain American influence in the country. The CPP highlights that this funding enables the US to exploit Philippine natural resources, maintain military presence, and secure economic privileges at the expense of Philippine sovereignty.
Beyond economic influence, the CPP asserts that USAID funding serves as a propaganda tool to present the US as a benevolent ally while obscuring its historical role in perpetuating poverty and underdevelopment. The Party condemns the US for using aid to push policies that keep the Philippines dependent on foreign debt, unequal trade agreements, and neoliberal economic structures that stifle genuine national development.
The CPP also denounces the hypocrisy of USAID programs that claim to promote “democracy,” “human rights,” and other causes, while the US government simultaneously provides military aid and counterinsurgency training to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). According to the Party, these programs reinforce US imperialist control by strengthening the AFP’s capability to suppress dissent and target progressive forces critical of US domination and the Marcos regime.
The Party warns that the USAID suspension is not a sign of declining US influence but a tactical move to realign US foreign policy under Trump’s aggressive pursuit of raw materials, markets, and investment opportunities. The CPP calls on all patriotic forces to expose and resist the machinations of US imperialism and strengthen the people’s movement against economic and military domination.