- Financial support: Aid can provide repressive regimes with the resources they need to maintain their security apparatus, suppress dissent, and reward their supporters. For example, the United States has provided billions of dollars in military aid to Egypt, despite the government’s human rights abuses.
- Political legitimacy: Aid can help to legitimize repressive regimes in the eyes of their own people and the international community. When repressive regimes receive aid, it sends the message that they are legitimate governments that are worthy of support. For example, the Chinese government has used aid to gain influence in Africa and other parts of the developing world.
- Economic dependence: Aid can make repressive regimes more dependent on foreign donors, which can give donors leverage to influence the regime’s behavior. However, donors are often reluctant to use this leverage for fear of destabilizing the regime or losing access to strategic resources. For example, the United States has continued to provide aid to Saudi Arabia, despite the kingdom’s human rights abuses and its support for terrorism.
- Social control: Aid can be used by repressive regimes to control their populations. For example, regimes may use food aid to reward supporters and punish opponents. Regimes may also use aid to fund propaganda programs or to monitor their citizens. For example, the Venezuelan government has used food aid to control its population and to suppress dissent.
Here are some specific examples of how aid has been used to keep repressive regimes in power:
- In the 1970s and 1980s, the United States provided billions of dollars in military aid to the Guatemalan government, which was responsible for genocide against the Maya people.
- In the 1980s and 1990s, the United States provided billions of dollars in military aid to the Indonesian government, which was responsible for genocide in East Timor and other human rights abuses.
- In recent years, China has provided billions of dollars in aid to African countries, with the goal of gaining influence and securing access to strategic resources.
- In recent years, the United States has continued to provide aid to Saudi Arabia, despite the kingdom’s human rights abuses and its support for terrorism.
- In recent years, the Venezuelan government has used food aid to control its population and to suppress dissent.
