What Rubio told American diplomats about the future of foreign aid, as most programs stopped

The United States does not plan to stop Distribution of external aid Foreign Minister Marco Rubio told US diplomats behind closed doors on Wednesday, all over the world, but needs to do better work in explaining programs that receive and defend help.

“The United States does not move away from external aid. There can be programs that we can justify.

“This is not related to politics, but foreign aid is the least thing the government spends on money,” Rubio added. “I spent a lot of time in my career to defend and explain it, but it is difficult and difficult to do in all fields – it’s really. But for us those responsible for foreign policy work, we understand it is necessary.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy did not respond to the requests for suspension.

For 14 years in the US Senate, Rubio has served at different times as a Republican Republican in foreign relations and intelligence committees and has become a major voice in foreign policy.

This week is on The first external missionA five -day tour of Central America and the Caribbean Sea region designed to enhance his belief that the United States needs to engage its closest neighbors because it seeks to curb illegal immigration and illegal drug trafficking.

This trip coincided with the dramatic reform of the American Agency for International Development, which reached its head at the end of last week, as the Ministry of Governmental Efficiency at Elon Musk faced senior agency officials, seeking to learn more about the scope of external aid. President Trump signed an executive order on Monday to fly the agency’s jobs mainly in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the name of Rubio’s official.

As part of the reform, The United States Agency for International Development was informed on Tuesday Most employees will be placed on Friday night vacation, with exceptions for “important important jobs, specially driving and special programs.”

On Wednesday morning, when Rubio met with the embassy employees in Guatemala, he was asked by the head of the United States Agency for International Development in Guatemala about the agency’s future.

“This is a question that deserves a straight and honest answer, and I will give it to you,” Rubio said.

He said he hoped to choose all “specially specific programs” by Friday, amid a broader review of all external aid.

The secretary said that he is now seeking to obtain direct inputs from ambassadors all over the world after receiving a list of the United States Agency for International Development in Guatemala from the American Ambassador Topin Bradley early on Wednesday. But he also made a mistake in Washington’s officials because of their failure to cooperate with the Musk team.

“We hope to achieve – over the next 36 to 48 hours – what I hope to do in a more organized way, from top to bottom … Now we will have to achieve this from below to top, and determine what these special tasks are,” he said.

Rubio was martyred in the funding of the United States Agency for International Development Ebola Some of the projects managed by the Emergency Plan for the President of AIDS, or Pepfar, as early examples of the exceptions that will continue.

“This should be done in a transparent way, and we did not get these answers. We were not only, at least not from above,” said Rubio. “Until now, we will have to follow it from bottom to top. This has always been our goal here, and this will continue our goal and intention.”

on saturday, Two senior security officials were placed at the U.S. Agency for International Development in Washington on an administrative vacationTwo sources confirmed to CBS News. Multiple sources said they were separated to try to prevent the Doug team from reaching secret materials in the banned areas.

As a broader review of external aid continues, Rubio said he is seeking to continue some funding and issued exemptions to address the aid delays for basic services. But one of the US Agency for International Development and Multiple Non -Governmental Organizations tell CBS News that operators on the ground are unable to distribute aid because payment, payment and computer operations are not connected to the Internet after being closed by the Ministry of Government efficiency, making the waiver of Rubio effectively.

Tom Hart, the CEO of the interaction, an alliance of 170 non -governmental organizations, says many of these groups are now bankrupt because they cannot reach credit or US financing because the US Agency for International Development has been dropped. About 40 % of the interaction members receive funding of the US Agency for International Development. “

“Although the policy is present through the order of Rubio, and even the papers have been handed over to some partner NGOs, they were unable to obtain assistance and money, to continue operations,” Hart said. “Therefore, we have a policy, we have papers, not only our financing flows to keep this relief in emergency situations.”

Hart also indicated that since the American Agency for International Development has canceled all its members and its contractors, “all these experts who help in providing an evaluation – is this program commensurate with the exemption announced by Minister Rubio – no longer there and work.”

On Tuesday, all the US Agency for International Development employees were placed on an effective administrative leave midnight on Friday and ordered the return to the United States all the workers who were deployed abroad within 30 days if their contracts are unnecessary. Email to the American Agency for International Development said that the agency plans to consider the exceptions of “every case” of employees who need to stay in the job, and to restore travel accessories possible based on “personal, family difficulties, movement or safety.”

Rubio told the diplomats on Wednesday that these exceptions “came from inputs from the ground, and not from anyone else.” He referred to examples of the US Agency for International Development, who have children with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who were appointed at the same embassy.

“Now you leave them mainly with the option to say,” so I must leave behind my husband and children, they are likely to be, take off myself and go. “This is not our intention.

As he pointed out, “There are members (USAID) who are in the third trimester of pregnancy.” He said that others may need special medical attention.

“We have an issue, and I know in particular, from someone who should go to dialysis three times a week,” he said. “Thus, sabotage departure is required in terms of continuing the care course. There are people who are deployed in places, frankly, where we do not want them to be cut off, because it is not, not only you can take a commercial trip and return home.”

He concluded his lengthy answer by asking diplomats about grace.

“I know it is difficult to seek patience. I know it is difficult to seek confidence, because you have not met me before. I was not responsible for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I do not receive double salaries in exchange for doing so, by the way.”

The details of the meeting were The New York Times reported for the first time.

Claire Moran contributed to this report.