Thomson Reuters Foundation: U.S. says Cuban medical missions are trafficking doctors “United States officials on Thursday called on all nations to stop using Cuba’s medical missions, which send doctors around the world, saying that Cuba refused to pay the medical staff and held them against their will. Cuba’s international medical…

Associated Press: Trump administration to triple democracy aid to Venezuela “The Trump administration is more than tripling U.S. support for pro-democracy work in Venezuela and for the first time directly funding opposition leader Juan Guaidó as he attempts to set up a government to rival the socialist administration of Nicolás…

Devex: U.S. to resume Northern Triangle aid programs that support its interests, official says “Due to ‘leadership commitment’ from Central American governments in response to the migration crisis, the Trump administration is looking at ways to resume some foreign assistance to El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, U.S. Department of Homeland…

Prensa Latina: U.S. Blockade Targets Cuban Health, Says Report “Between April 2018 and March 2019, the damage caused by the U.S. blockade to Cuba’s health sector totaled more than 104 million dollars. This is stated in the island’s report on U.N. General Assembly resolution 73/8 entitled ‘Necessity of ending the…

AFP: Ecuador’s lawmakers vote against decriminalizing abortion for cases of rape, fetal malformation “Ecuador’s National Assembly voted Tuesday against decriminalizing abortion in all cases of rape and for fetal malformation. A decriminalization proposal fell five votes short of the 70 required for its approval, with 59 assembly members voting against…

Devex: Is ‘blocking movement’ a measure of U.S. aid success in Northern Triangle? “Reorienting all U.S. foreign assistance in the Northern Triangle would fundamentally change the way organizations can respond to challenges in the region…” (Welsh, 9/18). NPR: Trump Froze Aid To Guatemala. Now Programs Are Shutting Down “…In 2018,…

CNN: Ivanka Trump’s push to empower women is undermined by her father’s policies, experts say “…In promoting her ‘Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative,’ [Ivanka] Trump emphasizes the link between stable, productive societies and women’s ability to work — connections borne out by research. But experts say a key factor…

USAID: USAID Announces Nearly $4 Million In New U.S. Humanitarian Assistance For The Bahamas In Response To Hurricane Dorian “[Thursday,] U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green announced that the United States is providing nearly $4 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help people in The Bahamas affected…

Devex: U.S. funding cuts force NGOs to break commitments in Guatemala”…[The USAID-funded violence prevention project] Convivimos is just one program impacted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement in March that the U.S. would stop providing foreign aid funds to El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala due to the continued migration of…

Save the Children: The Huge Humanitarian Crisis of VenezuelaSave the Children author Zoe Bennell discusses the humanitarian situation in Venezuela, where “deteriorating economic and political conditions” have caused at least four million people to flee the country. Bennell describes a sexual and reproductive health clinic Save the Children opened in…