A shroud of mystery surrounds the recent removal by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) of all information related to a memorandum of understanding signed on February 7, 2024, with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. This unusual action has raised alarms about possible ramifications for the local-led development model and its potential impact on internal political issues in recipient nations.
The agreement, signed by Samantha Power on behalf of USAID and Peter Laugharn for the Hilton Foundation, aimed to “promote and expand locally led development,” combining the institutional strengths of both entities. However, links to this information on USAID’s website, along with relevant social media posts, were inexplicably removed by the site’s administrators. Despite efforts to erase the trail, the information has been retrieved through web archiving portals, exposing the agency’s censorship of its own information.
The question echoing in journalistic and diplomatic circles is: What secret is being guarded? The sudden disappearance of details regarding this partnership suggests an underlying concern. Experts in international development and foreign policy speculate about a possible connection to the implications of the “locally led development” model. This approach, while aiming to empower local actors, could, according to critics, pave the way for indirect interventions in national or local politics in the regions where these entities provide aid.
The Hilton Foundation in the spotlight: Connections with the Venezuelan opposition
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, a leading global philanthropic organization established by the founder of the Hilton hotel chain, focuses on humanitarian aid and sustainable development. Its relevance in this story has heightened due to findings from the data journalism platform @latablablog. According to the investigation, the Hilton Foundation disbursed $375,000 USD to the NGO Coalition For Venezuela Inc., based in Miami, between June 2023 and July 2025.
This revelation takes on critical importance in the Venezuelan context. Information verified by @latablablog indicates that Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa, who has been accused of terrorism by the Venezuelan government, received indirect funding from the Hilton Foundation through the mentioned NGO. This connection sheds new light on the potential nature of “locally led development” and its implications in polarized political settings.
The removal of information by USAID, combined with revelations about funding to organizations linked with opposition figures, fuels suspicion about the true purpose of certain international cooperation alliances and the extent of their operations within the internal politics of nations. The international community and observers eagerly await an official explanation from USAID regarding this unusual censorship of its own information.