U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and
December 12, 2022
the Caribbean: FY2023 Appropriations
Peter J. Meyer
The United States provides foreign assistance to Latin American and Caribbean countries to
Specialist in Latin
support development and other U.S. objectives. U.S. policymakers have emphasized different
American and Canadian
strategic interests in the region at different times, from combating Soviet influence during the
Affairs
Cold War to promoting democracy and open markets, as well as countering illicit narcotics, since

the 1990s. Over the past decade, top U.S. funding priorities for foreign assistance in the region
have included addressing the underlying drivers of migration from Central America, combatting

drug production and supporting peace accord implementation in Colombia, and strengthening
security and the rule of law in Mexico. U.S. agencies also have dedicated significant resources to combatting HIV/AIDS and
fostering long-term stability in Haiti, addressing security concerns in the Caribbean, and responding to the political and
humanitarian crises in Venezuela and their impact on the broader region. Since 2020, U.S. policymakers have taken steps to
readjust U.S. assistance efforts to respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its secondary
socioeconomic effects in Latin America and the Caribbean.
FY2023 Budget Request
The Biden Administration requested more than $2.4 billion in foreign assistance for Latin America and the Caribbean in
FY2023, which (in current dollars) would be the largest annual budget allocation for the region in more than a decade. If
enacted, the request would increase the total funding for the region managed by the State Department and the U.S. Agency
for International Development (USAID) by $369.9 million (18.2%) compared with the FY2022 estimated level. The
Administration’s FY2023 budget request also would provide $38.0 million to the Inter-American Foundation (IAF)—a small,
independent U.S. foreign assistance agency that supports community-led development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
That figure would be the same amount the IAF received in FY2022.
Much of the increased funding for Latin America and the Caribbean would support continued implementation of the
Administration’s four-year, $4 billion plan to foster systemic reform and address drivers of irregular migration from Central
America. The FY2023 request would provide $986.8 million for bilateral and regional programs in the seven Central
American countries, increasing aid to the subregion by at least $282.8 million (41.8%) compared with the FY2022 estimate.
The Administration also has sought increased funding for Haiti to help the country restore democratic institutions, improve
security, and foster stability in the aftermath of the 2021 assassination of its president and recurrent natural disasters. The
FY2023 request would provide $274.8 million for Haiti, which is $55.6 million (25.4%) more than the estimated FY2022
allocation for the country. With regard to other regional priorities in FY2023, the Administration requested $462.9 million to
support counternarcotic efforts, peace accord implementation, and rural security and development in Colombia; $141.6
million to strengthen the rule of law in Mexico; $63.5 million for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI); and $55.0
million for democracy, human rights, and health activities in Venezuela.
Legislative Developments
As of early December 2022, Congress has not concluded action on FY2023 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations. In July 2022, the House Appropriations Committee reported its FY2023 SFOPS
bill (H.R. 8282/H.Rept. 117-401) and a separate FY2023 SFOPS bill was introduced in the Senate (S. 4662). Congress has
not taken further action on either bill. It passed a continuing resolution (H.R. 6833) on September 30, 2022, that largely funds
foreign aid programs in the region at the FY2022 level until December 16, 2022.
Congress may draw from H.R. 8282 and S. 4662 as it considers final FY2023 appropriations. Neither measure would specify
comprehensive appropriations levels for Latin America and the Caribbean. Nevertheless, both measures would provide more
funding than the Administration requested for Colombia, the CBSI, and the IAF, and less funding than the Administration
requested for Venezuela. Both measures also would place conditions on some aid to Central America, Colombia, and Haiti
and would direct funding to various initiatives and objectives throughout the region.
Looking ahead to the 118th Congress, in addition to determining aid levels and objectives for Latin America and the
Caribbean, Members could consider authorization legislation or use their various oversight mechanisms to help guide U.S.
foreign assistance policy in the region.
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Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Trends in U.S. Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean ...................................................... 2
Biden Administration’s FY2023 Foreign Assistance Budget Request ............................................ 4
Major Foreign Assistance Categories and Accounts ................................................................. 5
Major Country and Regional Programs .................................................................................... 7
Inter-American Foundation ...................................................................................................... 11
Legislative Developments ............................................................................................................. 12
Looking Ahead .............................................................................................................................. 14

Figures
Figure 1. Map of Latin America and the Caribbean ........................................................................ 1
Figure 2. U.S. Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY1946-FY2019 ......................... 3

Tables
Table 1. State Department- and USAID-Managed Foreign Assistance to Latin America
and the Caribbean by Account: FY2019-FY2023 Request .......................................................... 6
Table 2. State Department- and USAID-Managed Foreign Assistance to Latin America
and the Caribbean by Country or Regional Program: FY2019-FY2023 Request ...................... 10
Table 3. Inter-American Foundation (IAF) Appropriations: FY2019-FY2023 Request ............... 12
Table 4. U.S. Foreign Assistance for Selected Countries and Initiatives:

FY2023 Appropriations Legislation ........................................................................................... 12

Table A-1. State Department- and USAID-Managed Foreign Assistance to Latin America
and the Caribbean: FY2021 ........................................................................................................ 16
Table A-2. State Department- and USAID-Managed Foreign Assistance to Latin America
and the Caribbean: FY2022 Estimate ......................................................................................... 17
Table A-3. State Department- and USAID-Managed Foreign Assistance to Latin America
and the Caribbean: FY2023 Request .......................................................................................... 19

Appendixes
Appendix. U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean by Account and
by Country or Regional Program: FY2021-FY2023 Request .................................................... 16

Contacts
Author Information ........................................................................................................................ 20

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U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY2023 Appropriations

Introduction
Foreign assistance (also referred to as foreign aid in this report) is one of the tools the United
States employs to advance U.S. interests and policy goals in Latin America and the Caribbean.1
The focus and funding levels of aid programs change along with broader U.S. objectives. Current
aid programs reflect the diverse needs of the countries in the region, as well as the broad range of
these countries’ ties to the United States (see Figure 1 for a map of Latin America and the
Caribbean). Some countries receive U.S. assistance across many sectors to address political,
socioeconomic, and security challenges. Others have made major strides in consolidating
democratic governance and improving living conditions; these countries no longer receive
traditional U.S. development assistance but typically receive some U.S. support to address shared
security challenges, such as transnational crime. Congress authorizes and appropriates foreign
assistance funds for Latin America and the Caribbean and conducts oversight of aid programs and
the executive branch agencies that administer them.
Figure 1. Map of Latin America and the Caribbean

Source: Map Resources, edited by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

1 For more information on foreign assistance, see CRS Report R40213, Foreign Assistance: An Introduction to U.S.
Programs and Policy
, by Emily M. McCabe and Nick M. Brown.
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This report provides an overview of U.S. assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean. It
assesses trends in aid to the region and the Biden Administration’s FY2023 budget request for aid
administered by the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID),
and the Inter-American Foundation (IAF). It also examines congressional action on FY2023
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations and
raises potential legislative and oversight activities that Congress could consider in the remainder
of the 117th Congress or in future years. The Appendix provides detailed aid allocations by
foreign assistance account and country or regional program for FY2021, FY2022, and the
FY2023 request.
Report Notes
To compare the Biden Administration’s FY2023 foreign assistance request with previous years’ appropriations,
most aid figures in this report refer only to bilateral assistance that is managed by the State Department or the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and is requested for individual countries or regional
programs. Such assistance accounted for 62.8% of the total aid obligated by all U.S. agencies in Latin America and
the Caribbean in FY2019 (the most recent year for which comprehensive data are available).
Several other sources of U.S. assistance to the region exist. Many Latin American and Caribbean countries have
received assistance through of a series of supplemental appropriations bil s Congress enacted in FY2020 and
FY2021 to help countries worldwide respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Some
countries in the region also receive U.S. assistance to address humanitarian needs through USAID- and State
Department-managed foreign assistance accounts, such as Food for Peace Act Title II, International Disaster
Assistance, and Migration and Refugee Assistance. Likewise, some countries receive assistance from other U.S.
agencies, such as the Department of Defense, Mil ennium Challenge Corporation, and Peace Corps, or from
multilateral organizations that the United States supports financially, such as the Organization of American States,
Inter-American Development Bank, and Pan American Health Organization. This report examines some of these
assistance sources briefly in text boxes but otherwise excludes them from the analysis due to data inconsistencies.
Sources: USAID and U.S. Department of State, ForeignAssistance.gov, at https://foreignassistance.gov/.
Trends in U.S. Assistance to Latin America
and the Caribbean
The United States has long been a major contributor of foreign assistance to countries in Latin
America and the Caribbean. Between FY1946 and FY2019, the United States provided $93.8
billion ($194.5 billion in constant 2019 dollars) of assistance to the region.2 U.S. assistance to the
region spiked in the early 1960s, following the introduction of President John F. Kennedy’s
Alliance for Progress, an anti-poverty initiative that sought to counter Soviet and Cuban influence
in the aftermath of Fidel Castro’s 1959 seizure of power in Cuba. After a period of decline, U.S.
assistance to the region increased again following the 1979 assumption of power by the leftist
Sandinistas in Nicaragua. Throughout the 1980s, the United States provided considerable support
to Central American governments battling leftist insurgencies to prevent potential Soviet allies
from establishing political or military footholds in the region. U.S. aid flows declined in the mid-
1990s, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Central American civil
conflicts (see Figure 2).

2 These totals include aid obligations from all U.S. government agencies to the 33 independent Latin American and
Caribbean countries (identified in Figure 1) and regional programs. Certain agencies, such as the Department of
Defense, have not yet reported their final assistance obligations for FY2020 or more recent years. U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and U.S. Department of State, at https://foreignassistance.gov/.
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U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY2023 Appropriations

Figure 2. U.S. Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY1946-FY2019
(obligations in constant 2019 dollars)

Sources: CRS presentation of data from U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and U.S.
Department of State, ForeignAssistance.gov, at https://foreignassistance.gov/.
Notes: Includes aid obligations from all U.S. government agencies. Comprehensive data for FY2020, FY2021, and
FY2022 are not yet available.
U.S. foreign assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean began to increase again in the late
1990s and remained on a generally upward trajectory through FY2010. The higher levels of
assistance were partially the result of increased spending on humanitarian and development
assistance. In the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, the United States provided extensive
humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to several countries in Central America. The
establishment of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2003 and the Millennium
Challenge Corporation in 2004 also provided many countries in the region with new sources of
U.S. assistance.3 In addition, the United States provided significant assistance to Haiti in the
aftermath of a massive earthquake in 2010.
Increased funding for counternarcotics and security programs also contributed to the rise in U.S.
assistance. Beginning with President Bill Clinton and the 106th Congress in FY2000, successive
Administrations and Congresses provided significant amounts of foreign aid to Colombia and its
Andean neighbors to combat drug trafficking and end Colombia’s long-running internal armed
conflict. Spending received another boost in FY2008, when President George W. Bush joined
with his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderón, to announce the Mérida Initiative, a package of
U.S. counterdrug and anti-crime assistance for Mexico and Central America. In FY2010,
Congress and the Obama Administration split the Central American portion of the Mérida
Initiative into a separate Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) and created a

3 For more information on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Millennium Challenge Corporation,
see CRS In Focus IF10797, PEPFAR Stewardship and Oversight Act: Expiring Authorities, by Tiaji Salaam-Blyther;
and CRS Report RL32427, Millennium Challenge Corporation: Overview and Issues, by Nick M. Brown.
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similar program for the countries of the Caribbean, known as the Caribbean Basin Security
Initiative (CBSI).
Although U.S. assistance levels for Latin America and the Caribbean have remained elevated
over the past two decades compared with the 1990s, the U.S. government has increasingly
concentrated those resources in fewer countries and sectors, in light of significant development
progress in much of the region. Between 2002 and 2019, the percentage of people living in
poverty in Latin America decreased from 45.3% to 30.4%, largely due to stronger economic
growth and the implementation of more effective social policies.4 Health and education indicators
also improved significantly during that period. Some countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay, began to provide assistance to others in the region based on
their own development experiences.
Trends have reversed in the last decade, however, as countries in the region have struggled to
address a series of challenges.5 Socioeconomic conditions began to stagnate in many Latin
American and Caribbean countries around 2015 amid a decline in global commodity prices.
These conditions deteriorated sharply in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic swept away more than
a decade of development gains.6 Political conditions also have deteriorated as Venezuela and
Nicaragua have entrenched authoritarian rule and widespread corruption and violence have
eroded the quality of democracy elsewhere. These challenges have contributed to political unrest
and large-scale migration flows throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.7
Biden Administration’s FY2023 Foreign Assistance
Budget Request8
The Biden Administration requested more than $2.4 billion of State Department- and USAID-
managed foreign assistance for Latin America and the Caribbean in FY2023, which (in current
dollars) would be the largest annual budget allocation for the region in more than a decade. The
Administration also requested $38.0 million for the Inter-American Foundation (IAF)—a small,
independent U.S. foreign assistance agency that supports community-led development in the
region. If enacted, funding for Latin America and the Caribbean would increase by $369.9
million, or 18.2%, compared with the FY2022 estimate (see Table 1). The Administration’s
proposed increase for the region exceeds the 17.2% increase requested for SFOPS globally in
FY2023.9

4 U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Social Panorama of Latin America and
the Caribbean 2022
, November 24, 2022, p. 19.
5 For more information on recent challenges in the region, see CRS Report R46781, Latin America and the Caribbean:
U.S. Policy and Key Issues in the 117th Congress
, coordinated by Mark P. Sullivan.
6 ECLAC, Social Panorama of Latin America 2021, January 2022.
7 See, for example, Moisés Naím, “Why Hard-Liners Are Gaining Steam in Latin America,” Politico Magazine, July
12, 2022; and Michael Stott, “Repression and Poverty Trigger Record Migration in the Americas,” Financial Times,
September 11, 2022.
8 Unless otherwise noted, data and information in this section are drawn from U.S. Department of State, Congressional
Budget Justification, Foreign Operations, Appendix 2, Fiscal Year 2023
, May 9, 2022, at https://www.state.gov/wp-
content/uploads/2022/05/FY-2023-Congressional-Budget-Justifcation-Appendix-2-final-5-9-2022.pdf; and U.S.
Department of State, FY2022 estimate data, August 16, 2022.
9 For more information on the global foreign operations request, see CRS Report R47070, Department of State, Foreign
Operations, and Related Programs: FY2023 Budget and Appropriations
, by Emily M. McCabe and Cory R. Gill.
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U.S. Assistance to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic10
In addition to regular foreign assistance funds appropriated through annual Department of State, Foreign
Operations, and Related Programs appropriations legislation, Congress has enacted supplemental appropriations
measures to support the international response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. These
measures include the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2), which provided $10.8 bil ion for health
interventions, humanitarian assistance, and contributions to multilateral response efforts, and two FY2020
supplemental appropriations measures (P.L. 116-123 and P.L. 116-136), which provided nearly $2.3 bil ion in
international affairs funding for pandemic response. The FY2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-260)
also included $4.0 bil ion in emergency foreign assistance funds to support global vaccination efforts. As of June
2022, the U.S. Agency for International Development had provided at least $539.0 mil ion of supplemental
pandemic response aid to Latin America and the Caribbean. As of December 2022, the United States had
provided more than 70 mil ion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to countries in the region. These supplemental funds
are not included in the country or regional totals found in Table 1, Table 2, or the Appendix of this report.
Major Foreign Assistance Categories and Accounts11
The Administration’s FY2023 foreign aid budget proposal for Latin America and the Caribbean
requests $865.9 million (36.0% of the total) through the Development Assistance (DA) account,
which seeks to foster broad-based economic growth and social welfare in low- and middle-
income countries. USAID typically uses DA funding for long-term projects in areas such as
agriculture, democracy and governance, economic reform, education, and environmental
protection. The FY2023 request would continue to support long-term development efforts while
seeking to address the negative effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on many of those
sectors. Compared with the FY2022 estimate, DA funding for the region would increase by
$209.4 million (31.9%), with the majority of the additional funding allocated to activities
intended to address root causes of migration from Central America and to restore democratic
institutions and support resilience and development in Haiti.
Another $535.5 million (22.2%) of the Administration’s request for the region would be provided
through the Economic Support Fund (ESF) account, the primary purpose of which is to promote
special U.S. political, economic, or security interests. In practice, ESF programs generally aim to
promote political and economic stability and often are indistinguishable from programs funded
through the DA account. If enacted, ESF assistance for the region would increase by $103.1
million (23.8%) compared with the FY2022 estimate. Among other activities, the additional
resources would support rule of law, crime and violence prevention, and climate mitigation and
adaptation programs in Central America and Mexico, as well as democracy and human rights
programs in Venezuela.
The FY2023 request for Latin America and the Caribbean would provide $303.5 million (12.6%
of the total) through the Global Health Programs (GHP) account. This amount includes $190.0
million requested for the State Department, primarily to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, and $113.5
million requested for USAID to combat malaria and support maternal and child health, nutrition,
and family planning programs. USAID also would implement global health security programs

10 For more information on the pandemic response and assistance allocations for particular countries, see USAID,
“COVID-19 – Latin America and the Caribbean,” Fact Sheet #5, Fiscal Year 2022, June 30, 2022, at
https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/COVID_Regional_Fact_Sheet_5_-_LAC.pdf; U.S. Department of
State, “COVID-19 Vaccine Donations,” at https://www.state.gov/covid-19-recovery/vaccine-deliveries/#map_western;
and CRS In Focus IF11581, Latin America and the Caribbean: Impact of COVID-19, by Mark P. Sullivan and Peter J.
Meyer.
11 For more information on the various foreign assistance accounts and the programs they fund, see CRS Report
R40482, Department of State, Foreign Operations Appropriations: A Guide to Component Accounts, by Nick M.
Brown and Cory R. Gill.
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intended to prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks, building on the pandemic response
aid provided to the region using FY2020 and FY2021 supplemental appropriations (see text box,
“U.S. Assistance to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic,” above). Under the FY2023 GHP
request for the region, funding for the State Department-managed subaccount would decline by
$1.3 million (0.7%) and funding for the USAID-managed subaccount would increase by $22.0
million (24.0%) compared with the FY2022 estimate.
The remaining $702.5 million (29.2%) of the Administration’s FY2023 request for Latin America
and the Caribbean would support security assistance programs, including the following:
 $582.9 million requested through the International Narcotics Control and Law
Enforcement (INCLE) account for counternarcotics, civilian law enforcement
efforts, and projects intended to strengthen judicial institutions. INCLE funding
for the region would increase by $41.4 million (7.6%) compared with the
FY2022 estimate, with decreased aid to Colombia offset by increased aid to
Central America.
 $32.1 million requested through the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining,
and Related Programs (NADR) account to help countries in the region carry out
humanitarian demining programs, strengthen conventional weapons stockpile
management, develop strategic trade controls and border security measures, and
enhance their counterterrorism capacities. NADR funding for the region would
remain flat compared with the FY2022 estimate.
 $14.0 million requested through the International Military Education and
Training (IMET) account to train Latin American and Caribbean military
personnel. IMET funding would increase by $229,000 (1.7%) compared with the
FY2022 estimate.
 $73.5 million requested through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) account
to provide U.S. military equipment and services to partners in the region. FMF
funding for the region would decline by $5.0 million (6.3%) compared with the
FY2022 estimate, with decreased aid to Costa Rica, Peru, and Colombia partially
offset by increased funding for regional programs.
Table 1. State Department- and USAID-Managed Foreign Assistance to Latin
America and the Caribbean by Account: FY2019-FY2023 Request
(millions of current U.S. dollars)
Foreign Assistance
FY2019
FY2020a
FY2021a
FY2022
FY2023
% Change:
Account
(est.)
(req.)
FY22-FY23
Development Assistance
385.3
457.8
490.6
656.5
865.9
+31.9%
Economic Support Fund
402.3b
377.6b
378.5b
432.4b
535.5
+23.8%
Global Health Programs
53.3
53.3
55.5
91.5
113.5
+24.0%
(USAID)
Global Health Programs
170.5
157.7
195.0
191.3
190.0
-0.7%
(State)
International Narcotics
564.3
555.2
553.0
541.5
582.9
+7.6%
Control and Law
Enforcement
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Foreign Assistance
FY2019
FY2020a
FY2021a
FY2022
FY2023
% Change:
Account
(est.)
(req.)
FY22-FY23
Nonproliferation, Anti-
25.8
27.3
31.0
32.1
32.1

terrorism, Demining, and
Related Programs
International Military
9.9
13.1
13.8
13.7
14.0
+1.7%
Education and Training
Foreign Military Financing
82.8
79.7
76.9
78.5
73.5
-6.3%
Total
1,694.1
1,721.7a
1,794.3a
2,037.5
2,407.4
+18.2%
Sources: U.S. Department of State, Congressional Budget Justifications for Foreign Operations, FY2021-FY2023, at
https://www.state.gov/plans-performance-budget/international-affairs-budgets/; and U.S. Department of State,
FY2022 estimate data, August 16, 2022.
Notes: USAID = U.S. Agency for International Development; State = U.S. Department of State.
a. FY2020 and FY2021 totals do not include assistance made available through supplemental emergency
appropriations (P.L. 116-123, P.L. 116-136, or P.L. 117-2) to respond to COVID-19. For information on
supplemental aid, see the text box, “U.S. Assistance to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic,” above.
b. Congress appropriated an additional $9.0 mil ion of Economic Support Funds for the region in FY2019 and
an additional $5.0 mil ion for the region annually in FY2020, FY2021, and FY2022. Those funds are not
included in this table because they were appropriated as multilateral assistance for the Organization of
American States.
Major Country and Regional Programs
Although the Biden Administration’s FY2023 budget request would increase overall State
Department- and USAID-managed assistance for Latin America and the Caribbean, proposed
allocation changes would vary considerably by country or regional program (see Table 2).
Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. Since FY2010, the CBSI has funded maritime and aerial
security cooperation, law enforcement support, border and port security, justice sector reform, and
crime prevention programs in the Caribbean.12 The FY2023 request would provide $63.5 million
for the CBSI, which would be a $16.5 million (20.6%) cut compared with the FY2022
appropriation.
Central America. Addressing the underlying drivers of irregular migration from Central America
to the United States has been a top U.S. policy priority in the region since an unexpected surge of
unaccompanied children from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (the “Northern Triangle”)
arrived at the U.S. border in 2014. However, specific policy approaches have shifted from one
Administration to another. The Biden Administration developed a new U.S. Strategy for
Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America intended to support improved
governance, security, and broad-based economic growth in the subregion.13 The Biden
Administration also has allocated increased humanitarian assistance to Central America intended
to stabilize populations with acute needs, in line with its Collaborative Migration Management
Strategy (see text box, “U.S. Humanitarian Assistance to Central America,” below).14

12 For more information on the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, see CRS In Focus IF10789, Caribbean Basin
Security Initiative
, by Mark P. Sullivan.
13 For more information on U.S. policy toward Central America, see CRS In Focus IF11151, Central American
Migration: Root Causes and U.S. Policy
, by Peter J. Meyer.
14 White House, Collaborative Migration Management Strategy, July 2021, p. 7, at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-
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To implement the root causes strategy in FY2023, the Administration requested $986.8 million,
$959.0 million of which falls within the Latin America and Caribbean regional request.15 The
Administration requested 44.4% of the FY2023 funding for the subregion as bilateral assistance
for the seven Central American nations (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Nicaragua, and Panama), with the vast majority allocated to the Northern Triangle countries. It
requested the other 55.6% through State Department- and USAID-managed regional programs. If
fully funded, aid to Central America would increase by at least $282.8 million (41.8%) compared
with the FY2022 estimate.16
U.S. Humanitarian Assistance to Central America17
Since 2020, a series of tropical storms and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have contributed
to sharp increases in food insecurity and other humanitarian challenges in Central America. The Biden
Administration has sought to address these challenges and stabilize populations in Central America as part of its
broader Col aborative Migration Management Strategy. The U.S. Agency for International Development and the
State Department allocated $272.2 mil ion of humanitarian assistance to support vulnerable populations in Central
America and Mexico in FY2021, and $295.6 mil ion for such purposes in FY2022. These assistance funds, which
U.S. agencies have allocated over the course of each fiscal year from global humanitarian accounts, are not
included in the country or regional totals found in Table 1, Table 2, or the Appendix of this report.
Colombia. Colombia has been among the top recipients of U.S. assistance worldwide since the
launch of Plan Colombia, a counternarcotics program, in FY2000. The focus of U.S. assistance
efforts has evolved over time, responding to changes in Colombia’s long-running internal conflict
and Colombian government priorities.18 The Biden Administration’s FY2023 budget proposal—
released prior to Colombia’s August 2022 change in government—requested $462.9 million for
Colombia, primarily to support the Colombian government’s counternarcotics strategy and the
continued implementation of its peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC). The request also included some funding to support environmental conservation efforts
and the socioeconomic integration of Venezuelan migrants into their Colombian host
communities. The Administration’s request is $21.8 million (4.5%) less than the estimated
amount allocated to Colombia in FY2022, with the largest proposed reductions falling under the
INCLE and NADR accounts.
Haiti. The United States has provided Haiti significant aid to support the country’s recovery from
recurrent natural disasters and foster long-term stability, with a particular spike in assistance in
the aftermath of a massive 2010 earthquake. The Administration’s FY2023 request proposed
increased funding to help Haiti restore democratic institutions and address the deterioration in the
security situation that has occurred since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.19 The
request included $274.8 million to address health challenges (particularly HIV/AIDS), strengthen

content/uploads/2021/07/Collaborative-Migration-Management-Strategy.pdf.
15 $27.8 million of the $986.8 million requested for Central America would be provided through global accounts that
are not included in the regional total for Latin America and the Caribbean.
16 This comparison excludes assistance requested for Central America through global accounts because FY2022
estimate data for such assistance is not available.
17 For more information on the humanitarian response and allocations for particular countries, see USAID, “El
Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—Regional Response,” fact sheets, at https://www.usaid.gov/humanitarian-
assistance/el-salvador/El-Salvador-Guatemala-Honduras-Regional-Response-Archive.
18 For more information on U.S. policy toward Colombia, see CRS Report R43813, Colombia: Background and U.S.
Relations
and CRS Insight IN11955, Colombia: Presidential Elections in 2022, by June S. Beittel.
19 For more information on U.S. policy toward Haiti, see CRS In Focus IF12182, Haiti: Political Conflict and U.S.
Policy Overview
, by Clare Ribando Seelke and Maureen Taft-Morales.
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government and police capacity, increase agricultural production and other economic
development, and support natural resource management. The Administration’s request would
increase U.S. assistance to Haiti by $55.6 million (25.4%) compared with the FY2022 estimate.
Mexico. Mexico traditionally was not a major U.S. aid recipient due to its middle-income status,
but it began receiving larger amounts of counternarcotics and anti-crime assistance through the
Mérida Initiative in FY2008. Bilateral security cooperation efforts have shifted along with the
priorities of U.S. and Mexican administrations and now are guided by the U.S.-Mexico
Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Heath, and Safe Communities, launched in October
2021.20 The Biden Administration’s FY2023 request included $141.6 million for Mexico,
primarily to strengthen the rule of law; secure borders and ports; and combat transnational
organized crime, including opium poppy cultivation and heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine
production. The request also included some funding to help Mexico protect human rights and
improve environmental conservation. The Administration’s request for Mexico is $13.4 million
(10.4%) higher than the estimated FY2022 allocation due to a proposed ESF increase. However,
according to the Administration’s budget proposal, $17.0 million of the ESF requested for
Mexico would support Mexico’s efforts to implement aid projects in Central America.
Venezuela. The United States has provided democracy assistance to Venezuelan civil society for
two decades and has increased such assistance over the past five years in response to the
increasingly authoritarian rule of Nicolás Maduro. The United States also has provided
humanitarian support for those who have fled the country’s humanitarian crisis (see the text box,
“U.S. Assistance to Respond to Venezuela’s Humanitarian Crisis,” below).21 The Administration
requested $55.0 million in FY2023 to support democratic actors, human rights advocates, and
other civil society organizations; strengthen small businesses; and reduce maternal and child
mortality in Venezuela. The request would increase U.S. aid to Venezuela by $6.4 million (13.2%)
compared with the FY2022 estimate.
U.S. Assistance to Respond to Venezuela’s Humanitarian Crisis22
According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, an estimated 7.1 mil ion Venezuelan migrants and
refugees have fled the country’s political and humanitarian crisis since 2015, approximately 6.0 mil ion of whom are
residing in other Latin American and Caribbean countries. From FY2017 to FY2022, the U.S. Agency for
International Development and the State Department provided more than $2.3 bil ion of humanitarian
assistance—including $656.3 mil ion in FY2022—to help countries in the region respond to Venezuelan migrant
and refugee flows, support host communities, and assist those who remain in Venezuela. These assistance funds,
which U.S. agencies have allocated over the course of each fiscal year from global humanitarian accounts, are not
included in the country or regional totals found in Table 1, Table 2, or the Appendix of this report.

20 For more information on U.S. policy toward Mexico, see CRS Report R42917, Mexico: Background and U.S.
Relations
, by Clare Ribando Seelke and Joshua Klein.
21 For more information on U.S. policy toward Venezuela, see CRS Report R44841, Venezuela: Background and U.S.
Relations
, coordinated by Clare Ribando Seelke.
22 For more information on the humanitarian response and allocations for particular countries, see USAID, “Venezuela
Regional Crisis – Complex Emergency,” fact sheets, at https://www.usaid.gov/humanitarian-assistance/venezuela/
venezuela-regional-crisis-archive.
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Table 2. State Department- and USAID-Managed Foreign Assistance to Latin
America and the Caribbean by Country or Regional Program:
FY2019-FY2023 Request
(thousands of current U.S. dollars)
FY2019
FY2020a
FY2021a
FY2022
FY2023
% Change:

(est.)
(req.)
FY22-FY23
Argentina
3,089
3,061
700
650
650

Bahamas
196
197
200
200
200

Belize
235
1,179
1,250
250
250

Brazil
11,619
20,060
19,450
29,800
40,800
+36.9%
Chile
487
553
455
450
450

Colombia
421,180
460,183
465,092
484,711
462,875
-4.5%
Costa Rica
8,180
8,225
8,225
8,225
600
-92.7%
Cuba
20,000
20,000
20,000
20,000
20,000

Dominican Republic
36,777
28,569
29,405
39,835
37,500
-5.9%
Ecuador
12,000
19,450
23,750
45,562
35,300
-22.5%
El Salvador
39,533
78,865
78,790
99,052
124,800
+26.0%
Guatemala
80,351
95,887
98,049
117,860
162,800
+38.1%
Guyana
176
140
200
200
200

Haiti
193,752
172,361
189,577
219,188
274,755
+25.4%
Honduras
56,906
73,365
74,002
108,306
133,450
+23.2%
Jamaica
1,598
8,206
18,071
19,803
7,600
-61.6%
Mexico
162,410
157,910
158,910
128,205
141,575
+10.4%
Nicaragua
11,610
11,323
11,592
16,960
15,000
-11.6%
Panama
1,162
10,131
11,769
12,507
1,225
-90.2%
Paraguay
4,397
4,227
4,400
3,400
4,400
+29.4%
Peru
75,396
78,342
85,535
109,159
109,870
+0.7%
Suriname
195
178
200
200
200

Trinidad and Tobago
326
2,058
2,874
1,742
300
-82.8%
Uruguay
385
377
400
350
350

Venezuela
22,500
38,452
38,000
48,600
55,000
+13.2%
Barbados and Eastern
3,456
5,854
7,700
5,744
19,720
+243.3%
Caribbean
USAID Caribbean
4,000
10,000
13,300
14,098
12,000
-14.9%
Development
USAID Central
4,600
5,000
5,000
35,000
73,085
+108.8%
America Regional
USAID South America
18,000
15,000
15,000
27,000
28,000
+3.7%
Regional
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FY2019
FY2020a
FY2021a
FY2022
FY2023
% Change:

(est.)
(req.)
FY22-FY23
USAID Latin America
68,300
36,978
45,540
60,447
46,178
-23.6%
and Caribbean
Regional
State Central America



278,000b
447,765
+61.1%
Regionalb
State Western
431,313
355,610
366,909
102,044b
150,510
+47.5%
Hemisphere Regionalb
[Caribbean Basin
[58,000]
[60,000]
[74,800]
[80,000]
[63,500]
[-20.6%]
Security Initiative]
Total
1,694,129 1,721,741a 1,794,345a
2,037,548
2,407,408
+18.2%
Sources: U.S. Department of State, Congressional Budget Justifications for Foreign Operations, FY2021-FY2023, at
https://www.state.gov/plans-performance-budget/international-affairs-budgets/; and U.S. Department of State,
FY2022 estimate data, August 16, 2022. Caribbean Basin Security Initiative totals for FY2021 and FY2022 are
drawn from “Explanatory Statement Submitted by Mrs. Lowey, Chairwoman of the House Committee on
Appropriations, Regarding the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 133, Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021,” Congressional Record, vol. 166, no. 218—Book IV (December 21, 2020), p. H8794; and
“Explanatory Statement Submitted by Ms. DeLauro, Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations,
Regarding the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2471, Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2022,” Congressional Record, vol. 168, no. 42—Book IV (March 9, 2022), p. H3007.
Notes: USAID and State Department regional programs fund region-wide initiatives, including the Caribbean
Basin Security Initiative, as well as activities that cross borders or take place in non-presence countries. These
regional programs provide the vast majority of U.S. assistance received by some Latin American and Caribbean
countries.
a. FY2020 and FY2021 totals do not include assistance made available through supplemental emergency
appropriations (P.L. 116-123, P.L. 116-136, or P.L. 117-2) to respond to COVID-19. For information on
supplemental aid, see the text box, “U.S. Assistance to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic,” above.
b. The Biden Administration created a new State Department-managed Central America Regional Program in
FY2022, which funds the Central America Regional Security Initiative and other activities that were funded
through the State Department’s Western Hemisphere regional program in prior years.
Inter-American Foundation
In addition to State Department- and USAID-managed assistance for the region, the Biden
Administration requested $38.0 million for the IAF for FY2023 (see Table 3). The IAF is an
independent U.S. foreign assistance agency established through the Foreign Assistance Act of
1969 (22 U.S.C. §290f) to provide grants and other targeted assistance for community-led
development efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean. Congress created the agency after
conducting a comprehensive review of previous assistance activities in the region and
determining that programs at the government-to-government level had not promoted significant
social and civic change despite fostering economic growth.23 The IAF is active in 26 countries,
including several countries where USAID no longer has field missions.24 The Administration’s
FY2023 request would support the IAF’s ongoing efforts to address the root causes of Central
American migration, integrate Venezuelans into host communities, spur local economic activity,

23 U.S. Congress, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Assistance Act of 1969, Report on H.R. 14580 to
Promote the Foreign Policy, Security, and General Welfare of the United States by Assisting Peoples of the World to
Achieve Development Within a Framework of Democratic, Economic, Social, and Political Institutions, and for Other
Purposes
, 91st Cong., 1st sess., November 6, 1969, H.Rept. 91-611 (Washington, DC: GPO, 1969), p. 57.
24 Inter-American Foundation (IAF), “Where We Work,” at https://www.iaf.gov/where-we-work/.
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strengthen food security, promote civic engagement, mitigate chronic violence, build resilience to
natural disasters and extreme weather, and advance the social and economic inclusion of
historically marginalized populations.
Table 3. Inter-American Foundation (IAF) Appropriations: FY2019-FY2023 Request
(millions of current U.S. dollars)
FY2019
FY2020
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
% Change
(est.)
(req.)
FY22-FY23
22.5
37.5
38.0
38.0
38.0

Source: U.S. Department of State, Congressional Budget Justifications for Foreign Operations, FY2021-FY2023, at
https://www.state.gov/plans-performance-budget/international-affairs-budgets/.
Note: The IAF received an additional $10.0 mil ion in FY2019 via congressionally directed interagency transfers
from USAID for programs in Central America.
Legislative Developments
As of early December 2022, Congress has not concluded action on FY2023 appropriations. In
July 2022, the House Appropriations Committee reported its FY2023 SFOPS bill (H.R.
8282/H.Rept. 117-401) and Senator Coons introduced a separate SFOPS bill (S. 4662) in the
Senate. Congress has not taken further action on either bill. It passed a continuing resolution
(H.R. 6833) on September 30, 2022, that funds foreign aid programs in the region largely at the
FY2022 level until December 16, 2022.
Congress may draw from H.R. 8282 and S. 4662 as it considers appropriations for the remainder
of the fiscal year. Neither measure would specify comprehensive appropriations levels for every
Latin American and Caribbean country. Nevertheless, the measures would include funding
directives (see Table 4) and/or restrictions for some U.S. initiatives in the region.
Table 4. U.S. Foreign Assistance for Selected Countries and Initiatives:
FY2023 Appropriations Legislation
(millions of current U.S. dollars)

FY2022 (est.)
FY2023 (req.)
H.R. 8282 and
S. 4662 and
H.Rept. 117-401
explanatory
statement

Caribbean Basin
80.0
63.5
82.0
80.0
Security Initiative
Central America
676.2a
986.8a
NA
NA
Colombia
484.7
462.9
487.4
471.4
Haiti
219.2
274.8
NA
NA
Inter-American
38.0
38.0
47.0
47.0
Foundation
Mexico
128.2
141.6
NA
NA
Venezuela
48.6
55.0
50.0
40.0
Sources: U.S. Department of State, FY2022 estimate data, August 16, 2022; U.S. Department of State,
Congressional Budget Justification, Foreign Operations, Appendix 2, Fiscal Year 2023, May 9, 2022; H.R. 8282; H.Rept.
117-401; S. 4662; and the explanatory statement released by the chairman of the Senate Appropriations
Committee, at https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/SFOPSFY23RPT.pdf.
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Note: NA indicates that comprehensive appropriation totals are not available.
a. The FY2023 request figure for Central America includes $27.8 mil ion that would be provided through
global accounts. The FY2022 estimate figure for Central America does not include any global funding.
Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. Both measures would provide more funding for the CBSI
than the Administration requested. H.R. 8282 would provide “not less than” $82.0 million for the
CBSI, and the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman’s explanatory statement would
recommend “not less than” $80.0 million for the initiative. H.Rept. 117-401 would direct the
Secretary of State to consider Caribbean nations’ equipment needs for responding to natural
disasters and combatting transnational crime in the implementation of the initiative. The report
also would direct the Secretary to consider using the authority granted under Section 516 of the
Foreign Assistance Act (22 U.S.C. §2321j) to transfer excess defense articles to meet such needs.
Central America. Neither bill would stipulate an overall assistance level for Central America.
However, H.R. 8282 would designate “not less than” $100.0 million for locally led development
programs in the Northern Triangle, $75.0 million to reduce violence against women and girls in
Central America, $65.0 million for anti-corruption entities and activities in Central America, and
$15.0 million for democracy programs in Nicaragua. The accompanying report would designate
$126.7 million for Honduras and $40.7 million for Costa Rica. It also would designate $50.0
million for the Central America Youth Empowerment Program, which Congress established in
FY2022 SFOPS legislation (P.L. 117-103, Division K, §7045(a)(1)(C)) and the Biden
Administration rebranded as the Central American Service Corps.25 Some of these activities may
overlap. Similar to other SFOPS measures enacted in recent years, the bill would prohibit FMF
for the Northern Triangle countries. It also would require the State Department to withhold 60%
of ESF and security assistance to support the central governments of the Northern Triangle
countries until the Secretary of State certifies that those governments have met a series of
conditions related to corruption, human rights, migration, and other congressional concerns.
S. 4662 would designate “not less than” $70.0 million to reduce violence against women and girls
in Central America, $61.5 million for anti-corruption entities and activities in Central America,
and $15.0 million for democracy programs in Nicaragua. The accompanying explanatory
statement would designate $50.0 million for the Central American Service Corps. The bill would
impose aid restrictions similar to those in H.R. 8282, but it would reduce the withholding
requirement on aid to the central government of Honduras to 45% and would allow the provision
of FMF to the Northern Triangle countries to support disaster response, humanitarian assistance,
and maritime security.
Colombia. Both bills would provide slightly more funding for Colombia than the Administration
requested. H.R. 8282 would provide $487.4 million for Colombia, and S. 4662 would provide
$471.4 million. Both measures would designate “not less than” $40.0 million of the total aid to
support activities intended to improve rural security in municipalities with high levels of illicit
activities, including coca production.
As in prior years, both bills would require the State Department to withhold some security
assistance until the Colombian government meets certain conditions. H.R. 8282 would require the
State Department to withhold 30% of INCLE and FMF aid for Colombia until the Secretary of
State certifies that the Colombian government has met several human rights conditions. S. 4662
would require the State Department to withhold 20% of INCLE aid to Colombia until the
Secretary certifies that the Colombian government is implementing certain counternarcotics

25 White House, “Fact Sheet: Vice President Harris Announces the Central American Service Corps (CASC),” June 7,
2022.
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policies and to withhold 20% of FMF and 5% of INCLE to Colombia until the Secretary certifies
the Colombian government has met certain human rights conditions.
Haiti. Neither measure would specify a comprehensive appropriation level for Haiti. H.R. 8282
and the accompanying report do not include any Haiti-related funding directives. The Senate
Appropriations Committee chairman’s explanatory statement to S. 4662 would designate $8.5
million for reforestation efforts and “not less than” $5.0 million to help meet the sanitary,
medical, and nutritional needs of Haitian prisoners. The explanatory statement also would
recommend “not less than” the FY2022 allocation for law enforcement programs for Haiti.
Both bills would require the State Department to withhold aid to the Haitian government until a
new president and parliament take office following free and fair elections or a broadly
representative transitional government is in place. However, both bills include exceptions for aid
to support free and fair elections; disaster relief and recovery; anti-gang police and justice sector
activities; and public health, education, and other programs to meet basic human needs.
Inter-American Foundation. Both bills would provide $47.0 million for the IAF, which would
exceed the Administration’s request and prior year appropriations. H.Rept. 117-401 would
designate $1.7 million of the total to expand an economic exchange program between Indigenous
IAF grantees and Native American tribes. The report also would recommend that the IAF use the
increased funding to address the impacts of COVID-19, facilitate pandemic recovery, and
strengthen resilience to future shocks in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Mexico. Neither bill would specify a comprehensive appropriation level for Mexico, though
H.Rept. 117-401 would designate $55.0 million of ESF for Mexico. According to H.Rept. 117-
401 and the explanatory statement released by the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman,
neither measure would provide FMF aid for Mexico and both measures would require the State
Department to report to the Appropriations Committees on the extent to which the Mexican
government is meeting various human rights conditions prior to obligating any INCLE aid for
Mexico.
Venezuela. H.R. 8282 and S. 4662 would designate $50.0 million and $40.0 million of ESF,
respectively, for democracy programs in Venezuela. Both bills also would direct U.S. agencies to
continue providing support to other Latin American and Caribbean countries hosting Venezuelan
migrants and refugees. Neither bill would specifically fund the Administration’s $5.0 million
GHP request for Venezuela.
Looking Ahead
The COVID-19 pandemic eroded more than a decade of development gains in Latin America and
the Caribbean, and many countries in the region continue to contend with its direct health impact
and related socioeconomic effects. This deterioration in living conditions has contributed to
increased political instability and irregular migration throughout the Western Hemisphere, leading
the Biden Administration to assert in its National Security Strategy that there is a “direct link
between the region’s prosperity and security and that of our own.”26 Congressional decisions
regarding foreign assistance appropriations will help determine how the United States responds to
challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean and the relative prioritization of U.S. objectives in
the region. Congress also could help guide U.S. foreign assistance policy in the region by
enacting authorization legislation or using its various oversight mechanisms.

26 White House, National Security Strategy, October 2022, p. 40.
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Appropriations. In the final weeks of the 117th Congress, Members may conclude action on
FY2023 SFOPS appropriations, pass another short-term continuing resolution (or multiple
continuing resolutions)—deferring final funding decisions to the 118th Congress—or enact a long-
term continuing resolution that would maintain FY2022 funding levels through the end of
FY2023. A final FY2023 SFOPS bill would allow Congress to alter foreign assistance funding
priorities, directives, and reporting requirements for Latin America and the Caribbean to reflect
changes in the region and in U.S. policy over the past year. It also would provide clarity to U.S.
agencies on funding levels as they plan and implement activities over the remaining nine months
of the fiscal year. A continuing resolution would be less likely to modify funding levels or policy
toward the region but could keep existing programs running in the absence of congressional
agreement on potential changes.
Authorizations. In addition to appropriating assistance for Latin America and the Caribbean,
Congress could shape longer-term U.S. foreign assistance policy toward the region with
authorization legislation. Although Congress has not enacted a comprehensive foreign assistance
authorization since 1985 (P.L. 99-83), it occasionally has authorized specific aid programs or
initiatives. In the 117th Congress, the House approved the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative
Authorization Act (H.R. 4133), which would authorize $74.8 million to be appropriated for the
CBSI annually in FY2022 through FY2026 and would establish specific objectives, priorities,
and reporting requirements for the initiative; the Senate has not considered the measure. A variety
of other bills introduced in the 117th Congress would authorize funding and/or set policy
objectives for U.S. foreign assistance programs in Central America (e.g., H.R. 1177/S. 348; H.R.
4017/S. 2003; and H.R. 6637); no legislative action has been taken on those measures.
Oversight. Looking ahead, the 118th Congress could consider whether to exercise increased
oversight of U.S. assistance programs in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as of the
executive branch agencies that administer those programs. If Congress chooses to pursue
increased oversight of this aid, committees could hold hearings and Members could conduct fact-
finding missions to the region to assess major U.S. initiatives, such as the U.S. Strategy for
Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America; the CBSI; the evolving U.S.
security partnership with Colombia; and the U.S.-Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security,
Public Heath, and Safe Communities. Such efforts could examine the extent to which those
initiatives are meeting their stated objectives and what changes, if any, could make them more
effective.
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Appendix. U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America
and the Caribbean by Account and by Country or
Regional Program: FY2021-FY2023 Request

Table A-1. State Department- and USAID-Managed Foreign Assistance to Latin
America and the Caribbean: FY2021
(millions of current U.S. dollars)
GHP-
GHP-

DA
ESF
USAID
State
INCLE NADR IMET FMF
Total
Argentina




0.1

0.6

0.7
Bahamas






0.2

0.2
Belize






0.3
1.0
1.3
Brazil
17.0


1.8


0.7

19.5
Chile






0.5

0.5
Colombia
70.0
141.0
2.0
1.7
189.0
21.0
1.9
38.5
465.1
Costa Rica






0.7
7.5
8.2
Cuba

20.0






20.0
Dominican Republic
5.6


23.3


0.5

29.4
Ecuador
11.5



7.0

0.3
5.0
23.8
El Salvador
70.0


8.1


0.7

78.8
Guatemala
65.7

13.0
18.6


0.8

98.0
Guyana






0.2

0.2
Haiti
52.0

24.5
99.8
13.0

0.3

189.6
Honduras
65.0


8.3


0.8

74.0
Jamaica
2.0


15.5


0.6

18.1
Mexico

50.0


100.0
1.2
1.8
6.0
158.9
Nicaragua
10.0


1.6




11.6
Panama



8.6

0.5
0.7
2.0
11.8
Paraguay
4.0





0.4

4.4
Peru
43.0


1.9
39.0
1.0
0.6

85.5
Suriname






0.2

0.2
Trinidad and Tobago



2.6


0.3

2.9
Uruguay






0.4

0.4
Venezuela

33.0
5.0





38.0
Barbados and
7.0





0.7

7.7
Eastern Caribbean
USAID Caribbean
13.3







13.3
Developmenta
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GHP-
GHP-

DA
ESF
USAID
State
INCLE NADR IMET FMF
Total
USAID Central
5.0







5.0
Americaa
USAID South
15.0







15.0
Americaa
USAID Latin
34.5

11.0





45.5
America and
Caribbeana
State Western

134.5

3.2
204.9
7.4

16.9
366.9
Hemispherea
[Caribbean Basin
[] [32.3]
[]
[]
[35.0]
[]
[]
[7.5]
[74.8]
Security Initiative]a
Total
490.6 378.5b
55.5
195.0
553.0
31.0
13.8
76.9 1,794.3b
Source: U.S. Department of State, Congressional Budget Justification, Foreign Operations, Appendix 2, Fiscal Year
2023
, May 9, 2022.
Notes: These totals do not include any of the assistance made available for Latin America and the Caribbean
through supplemental emergency appropriations to respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic. DA = Development Assistance; ESF = Economic Support Fund; FMF = Foreign Military Financing; GHP
= Global Health Programs; IMET = International Military Education and Training; INCLE = International
Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement; NADR = Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related
Programs; State = U.S. Department of State; USAID = U.S. Agency for International Development.
a. USAID and State Department regional programs fund region-wide initiatives as well as activities that cross
borders or take place in non-presence countries. These regional programs provide the majority of U.S.
assistance received by some Latin American and Caribbean countries. The Caribbean Basin Security
Initiative is funded through the State Western Hemisphere Regional program.
b. This amount does not include an additional $5.0 mil ion of ESF for the region that Congress appropriated in
FY2021 as multilateral assistance through the Organization of American States.
Table A-2. State Department- and USAID-Managed Foreign Assistance to Latin
America and the Caribbean: FY2022 Estimate
(millions of current U.S. dollars)
GHP-
GHP-

DA
ESF
USAID
State
INCLE NADR IMET
FMF
Total
Argentina






0.7

0.7
Bahamas






0.2

0.2
Belize






0.3

0.3
Brazil
25.0

4.0



0.8

29.8
Chile






0.5

0.5
Colombia
80.0
141.0
9.0
2.9
189.0
21.0
1.9
40.0
484.7
Costa Rica






0.7
7.5
8.2
Cuba

20.0






20.0
Dominican Republic
18.0


21.3


0.5

39.8
Ecuador
27.0



13.3

0.3
5.0
45.6
El Salvador
84.0

4.0
10.3


0.8

99.1
Guatemala
85.5

19.0
12.6


0.8

117.9
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GHP-
GHP-

DA
ESF
USAID
State
INCLE NADR IMET
FMF
Total
Guyana






0.2

0.2
Haiti
56.0
5.5
24.5
103.1
30.0

0.1

219.2
Honduras
95.0

5.0
7.5


0.8

108.3
Jamaica
2.0

4.0
13.2


0.6

19.8
Mexico
4.0
57.8


64.0
1.2
1.3

128.2
Nicaragua
15.0


2.0




17.0
Panama



11.3

0.5
0.7

12.5
Paraguay
3.0





0.4

3.4
Peru
45.7

6.0
2.0
47.8
1.0
0.7
6.0
109.2
Suriname






0.2

0.2
Trinidad and



1.4


0.3

1.7
Tobago
Uruguay






0.4

0.4
Venezuela

40.0
5.0
3.6




48.6
Barbados and
5.0





0.7

5.7
Eastern Caribbean
USAID Caribbean
7.6
6.5






14.1
Developmenta
USAID Central
33.0
2.0






35.0
Americaa
USAID South
27.0







27.0
Americaa
USAID Latin
43.8
5.7
11.0





60.4
America and
Caribbeana
State Central

111.0


155.0
2.0

10.0
278.0
Americaa
State Western

43.0

0.2
42.4
6.5

10.0
102.0
Hemispherea
[Caribbean Basin
[] [35.0]
[]
[]
[35.0]
[]
[] [10.0]
[80.0]
Security Initiative]a
Total
656.5 432.4b
91.5
191.3
541.5
32.1
13.7
78.5 2,037.5b
Source: U.S. Department of State, FY2022 estimate data, August 16, 2022.
Notes: DA = Development Assistance; ESF = Economic Support Fund; FMF = Foreign Military Financing; GHP =
Global Health Programs; IMET = International Military Education and Training; INCLE = International Narcotics
Control and Law Enforcement; NADR = Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs;
State = U.S. Department of State; USAID = U.S. Agency for International Development.
a. USAID and State Department regional programs fund region-wide initiatives as well as activities that cross
borders or take place in non-presence countries. These regional programs provide the majority of U.S.
assistance received by some Latin American and Caribbean countries. The Caribbean Basin Security
Initiative is funded through the State Western Hemisphere Regional program.
b. This amount does not include an additional $5.0 mil ion of ESF for the region that Congress appropriated in
FY2022 as multilateral assistance through the Organization of American States.
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Table A-3. State Department- and USAID-Managed Foreign Assistance to Latin
America and the Caribbean: FY2023 Request
(millions of current U.S. dollars)
GHP-
GHP-

DA
ESF
USAID
State
INCLE NADR IMET FMF Total
Argentina






0.7

0.7
Bahamas






0.2

0.2
Belize






0.3

0.3
Brazil
35.0

5.0



0.8

40.8
Chile






0.5

0.5
Colombia
72.0 156.0
10.0

175.0
10.0
1.9
38.0
462.9
Costa Rica






0.6

0.6
Cuba

20.0






20.0
Dominican Republic
17.0


20.0


0.5

37.5
Ecuador
16.0



13.0
1.0
0.3
5.0
35.3
El Salvador
119.0

5.0



0.8

124.8
Guatemala
138.0

24.0



0.8

162.8
Guyana






0.2

0.2
Haiti
111.0

34.5
100.0
29.0

0.3

274.8
Honduras
126.7

6.0



0.8

133.5
Jamaica
2.0

5.0



0.6

7.6
Mexico

75.0


64.0
1.0
1.6

141.6
Nicaragua
15.0







15.0
Panama





0.5
0.7

1.2
Paraguay
4.0





0.4

4.4
Peru
53.0

8.0

46.2
2.0
0.7

109.9
Suriname






0.2

0.2
Trinidad and Tobago






0.3

0.3
Uruguay






0.4

0.4
Venezuela

50.0
5.0





55.0
Barbados and Eastern
19.0





0.7

19.7
Caribbean
USAID Caribbean
12.0







12.0
Developmenta
USAID Central
73.1







73.1
Americaa
USAID South
28.0







28.0
Americaa
USAID Latin America
25.2
10.0
11.0





46.2
and Caribbeana
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State Central Americaa

169.0

43.6
219.7
5.0

10.5
447.8
State Western Hemispherea

55.5

26.4
36.0 12.6

20.0
150.5
[Caribbean Basin Security Initiative]a
[] [27.0]
[]
[] [29.0] [] [] [7.5]
[63.5]
Total
865.9
535.5 113.5 190.0
582.9 32.1 14.0
73.5 2,407.4
Source: U.S. Department of State, Congressional Budget Justification, Foreign Operations, Appendix 2, Fiscal Year
2023
, May 9, 2022.
Notes: DA = Development Assistance; ESF = Economic Support Fund; GHP = Global Health Programs; FMF =
Foreign Military Financing; IMET = International Military Education and Training; INCLE = International Narcotics
Control and Law Enforcement; NADR = Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs;
State = U.S. Department of State; USAID = U.S. Agency for International Development.
a. USAID and State Department regional programs fund region-wide initiatives as well as activities that cross
borders or take place in non-presence countries. These regional programs provide the majority of U.S.
assistance received by some Latin American and Caribbean countries. The Caribbean Basin Security
Initiative is funded through the State Western Hemisphere Regional program.


Author Information

Peter J. Meyer

Specialist in Latin American and Canadian Affairs



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