Peter Marocco assigned as head of Inter-American Foundation after White House fires president and CEOThe White House has installed Peter Marocco as head of a small independent international development agency, part of a broader push by Donald Trump and Elon Musk to dramatically reduce US foreign aid.Marocco, a Trump loyalist who presided over the administration’s evisceration of foreign aid programs at USAid and the state department, was placed in charge of the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) on Friday, after the White House fired the foundation’s president and CEO, Sara Aviel, according to a letter sent by the chair of the agency’s board of directors and reviewed by the Guardian.Andrew Roth contributed reporting from Washington Continue reading...
The Trump administration has appointed Peter Marocco, a Trump loyalist known for cutting foreign aid programs, as the head of the Inter-American Foundation (IAF), an independent agency. This move follows the White House firing the agency's president and CEO, Sara Aviel, and terminating the bipartisan board of directors. Marocco, who led efforts to reduce foreign aid at the State Department, was installed as the sole board member and chairman. Most of the agency's staff were placed on administrative leave, and the White House has faced criticism for bypassing legal requirements. Congressional Democrats and agency employees are exploring legal options to challenge the administration's actions, which they argue exceed its authority. The IAF, established in 1969 to support community development in Latin America and the Caribbean, has been targeted as part of Trump's broader push to reduce foreign aid, drawing bipartisan opposition.