Bolivia President Evo Morales kicks out corrupt US program USAID. Too bad the $52 million US taxpayer dollars diverted to cronies in Bolivia weren't spent on the suffering in the US

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5/1/13, "US protests against Bolivia's decision to expel USAID," BBC

"The US has expressed regret at Bolivia's decision to expel America's development agency, rejecting allegations made by President Evo Morales as "baseless".

A US official said the move against the US Agency for International Development (USAID) "harms the Bolivian people".

In a May Day address, Mr Morales accused USAID of seeking to "conspire against" Bolivia.

He linked the expulsion to a recent comment by the US secretary of state. But US state department spokesman Patrick Ventrell defended USAID's work in Bolivia.

"We think the programmes have been positive for the Bolivian people, and fully co-ordinated with the Bolivian government and appropriate agencies under their own national development plan," he said.
 
USAID said it deeply regretted Mr Morales' decision.

"Those who will be most hurt by the Bolivian government's decision are the Bolivian citizens who have benefited from our collaborative work on education, agriculture, health, alternative development, and the environment," it said in a statement.

USAID has been working in Bolivia for almost five decades, and had a budget of $52.1m (£33.4m) for the country in 2010, according to its website.

It cites as its main aims the strengthening of Bolivia's health system and the provision of "equal access to health care by eliminating social exclusion", as well as improving "the livelihoods of economically and socially disadvantaged people by increasing income and managing natural resources".

On previous May Days, Mr Morales had announced the nationalisation of key industries, such as hydroelectric power and the electricity grid.

Speaking at a rally in La Paz on Wednesday, Mr Morales said he "would only nationalise the dignity of the Bolivian people".

He said there was "no lack of US institutions which continue to conspire against our people and especially the national government, which is why we're going to take the opportunity to announce on this May Day that we've decided to expel USAID".

He then turned to his Foreign Minister, David Choquehuanca, and asked him to inform the US embassy of his decision. The president also linked the expulsion to a recent remark by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who referred to Latin America as "the backyard" of the US.

Mr Kerry made the remark as he tried to persuade US Congressmen of the importance of the region, telling them that "the Western Hemisphere is our backyard. It's critical to us."

Bolivia's ABI state news agency reported that USAID was "accused of alleged political interference in peasant unions and other social organisations".

Mr Morales has threatened USAID with expulsion in the past, saying that its programmes have "political rather than social" ends. He has also accused it of "manipulating" and "using" union leaders.

Mr Morales, who heads his country's union of coca growers, has been critical in the past of US counter-narcotic programmes in Bolivia, repeatedly stating that the fight against drugs is driven by geopolitical interests.

In 2008, Mr Morales expelled the US ambassador and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for allegedly conspiring against his government.

Mr Morales became Bolivia's first indigenous president in 2005.

He was re-elected by a landslide in 2009, but has since faced protests from indigenous communities angered by the construction of a major road through their territory, and by police and army officers demanding better pay."

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About the corrupt USAID from USA Today, 2009:

USAID often funnels US taxpayer dollars to the UN. Money given to the UN is always on a no-strings basis, can be put in someone's Swiss bank account, no questions will be asked. USAID is free to withhold information about UN abuse of millions of US taxpayer dollars, has willfully done so in the past without consequence. Following is one example:

• "Witness names were withheld by USAID."

4/15/2009, "Report: U.N. spent U.S. funds on shoddy projects," USA Today, Ken Dilanian

"The U.N. ran a "quick impact" infrastructure program (for Afghanistan) from 2003 to 2006 under a $25 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The U.N. delivered shoddy work, diverted money to other countries and then stonewalled U.S. efforts to figure out what happened, according to a report by USAID's inspector general obtained by USA TODAY under the Freedom of Information Act.

"Due to the refusal of the United Nations to cooperate with this investigation, questions remain unanswered," the report says.

Federal prosecutors in New York City were forced to drop criminal and civil cases because the U.N. officials have immunity, according to the report. USAID has scaled back its dealings with the U.N. and hired a collection agency to seek $7.6 million back, Deputy Administrator James Bever said. The aid agency (USAID) hasn't heeded its inspector general's request to sever all ties.

"There are certain cases where working with the U.N. is the only option available," (USAID's) Bever said in an e-mail....

One U.N. employee told investigators that "about $10 million of USAID grant money went to projects in other countries, to include Sudan, Haiti, Sri Lanka and Dubai." That witness said the Afghanistan country director for the U.N. Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which served as the contractor on the project for the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), spent about $200,000 in U.S. money to renovate his guesthouse. Witness names were withheld by USAID. 
 

The development program hired UNOPS to do the work and kept a 7% management fee, the report says. The finances were "out of control," an unnamed project services manager told investigators.

An unnamed USAID contractor told investigators that the program was "ill conceived from the beginning. This was a political idea to do quick impact projects that would look good," the report said....

USAID's inspector general, Donald Gambatesa told the Commission on Wartime Contracting during a February public hearing that he was "concerned" that his agency was continuing to do business with the U.N.

Commissioner Dov Zakheim, a former Pentagon controller, asked Gambatesa whether the agencies have immunity "if they siphon (their U.S. grants) all off into Swiss banks? Is that accurate? They will be totally immune, no matter what they do with the money?"

"My understanding is, yes," Gambatesa replied."...

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USAID in bid-rigging:

1/24/13, “AP Exclusive: possible USAID bid rigging probed,“ AP, Larry Margasak

“The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into possible contract rigging by the general counsel at the government agency that distributes foreign aid, documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

Memos from the inspector general of the U.S. Agency for International Development also reveal that the IG is investigating whether Deputy Administrator Donald Steinberg tried to interfere with an internal investigation."...

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