'The Pink Tide': EU accused of 'moral imperialism' in Latin America over millions in ire subsidies to leftist organizations

The report, titled The "Pink Tide" of EU Aid, was published by the Hungarian think tank Center for Fundamental Rights (CDF) and reveals that, over the past decade, various European Union (EU) institutions have allocated around $1.1 billion to fund around 800 Latin American NGOs.

According to the European Commission’s own Financial Transparency System, these funds were intended to strengthen civil society in the region and were distributed through the Commission’s former Directorate‑General for Development and Cooperation (Devco), now known as the Directorate‑General for International Partnerships (INTPA). Sixty‑seven percent of these grants were managed by Devco, with the remainder handled by other EU institutions and intermediaries.

The report argues that, although some recipient NGOs carry out legitimate work, many are overshadowed by transnational networks and organizations that promote what it describes as ultra‑left‑wing agendas — including intersectionality, LGBTQ+ advocacy, deconstructive feminism, so‑called reproductive rights, indigenism, racialism, mass immigration, and a purported fight against disinformation.

By supporting these NGOs, the CDF argues, the EU is helping to strengthen a cultural and political environment favorable to members of the São Paulo Forum and the Puebla Group — key networks of neo‑Marxist elites in Latin America.

The funded entities "come in very diverse forms, from international giants to local youth centers, from federations of municipal governments, technology centers and neo-Marxist networks in Latin America, technology centers and think tanks to local religious groups, ancestral indigenous tribal councils and victim associations," the document reads. It also notes the presence of so‑called meta‑NGOs, NGO federations, and NGO incubators, serving either as forums for nonprofits or as catalysts for a broader intersectionality‑driven agenda.

Beyond the presumed good intentions of these organizations, the report warns of a lack of effective monitoring, auditing, and evaluation mechanisms.

The European Commission and NGOs, an "incestuous relationship"

The report states that the European Commission often awards grants to these NGOs without proper parliamentary oversight, using an opaque structure that continues to operate with public funds and little effective control.

For instance, a body like Concord Europe — the main interlocutor between the NGO sector and the EU — receives direct funding from the same EU department that later distributes resources to the entities it represents. This "incestuous relationship," the report argues, undermines confidence in the system and raises serious questions about its impartiality.

The EU exports the woke ideology to Latin America

The CDF criticizes Brussels for not only trying to impose its "woke" ideology on member states but also for exploiting existing aid channels to promote that ideology in Latin America.

Among the EU-funded activities, the report highlights the Horizonte de Libertades project, where four Uruguayan NGOs joined forces in 2019 to invite radical feminist Angela Davis to give a series of lectures in Montevideo. During these talks, she stated, "You can't mess with racism without messing with patriarchy."

In this way, the CDF claims, the EU has financed the promotion of a Marxist discourse advocating the end off capitalism and patriarchy.

The (LGBTQ) NGO activities funded by Brussels included a report on "trans corporality in Uruguay's prison system," and another on  "trans representation in Brazil's elections." Meanwhile, the Uruguayan NGO El Abrojo— which claims to advocate for children and youth but supports "comprehensive sex education in early childhood" as a "human right" and the normalization of drugs — received about $19,500 directly from the EU between 2017 and 2020, and also participated in other projects with funding totaling over $1 million.

According to the report, a pro-abortion NGO became the top recipient of EU aid in Peru, despite being involved in a high-profile sexual abuse scandal.

PromSex, a leading Peruvian organization advocating for reproductive rights, was at the center of a scandal when one of its main investigators left the group amid accusations of sexual abuse. According to the CDF report, the NGO had entrusted this individual with writing reports and articles on the very type of aqbuse they were accused of. 

On the other hand, funds were allocated to several rural and indigenous NGOs promoting popular medicine that is not clinically proven but presented as "intercultural health." Two examples include the Centro Nordestino de Medicina Popular in Brazil, which received around $580,000 in 2014, and the Alejandro Labaka Foundation in Ecuador, which received $290,000.

The report also reveals that NGOs advocating so-called "media freedom" used EU funds to launch attacks against conservative journalists. According to the study, the EU has been generous with associations of "social communicators" or NGOs claiming to fight "disinformation," but who instead work to delegitimize ideologies different from their own and promote censorship of voices they find objectionable. Examples include El Churo in Ecuador, Memétic Media in Paraguay, and the Checkea campaign in Peru.

Platforms such as Memétic Media and El Surti received more than $1 million dollars for their role in campaigns against what they consider "disinformation."

The multilayered nature of public philanthropy

An important point highlighted by the CDF report is how many Latin American NGOs receive multiple, overlapping streams of funding. In addition to EU support, these groups often receive donations from various European public donors, including national aid agencies and regional governments.

Spain stands out as a major contributor to funding these NGOs, alongside countries like Germany, Sweden and Norway.

The paper cites three examples: RedProDePaz in Colombia, funded by Germany; the Altiplano Committee of Guatemala, supported by the Generalidad Valenciana (Spain); and the Asociación Colectiva de Mujeres para el Desarrollo Local de El Salvador, sponsored by the Basque Regional Government (Spain).

The report also highlights the influential role of regions within decentralized countries like Spain, which allocate budgets for foreign aid. For example, the NGO Women in Development in the Dominican Republic lists funding partnerships with the autonomous governments of Andalucía, Galicia, Castilla-La Mancha, and Madrid.

Beyond aligning with USAID’s funding objectives, the report also highlights significant overlap with philanthropic networks, particularly George Soros’ Open Society Foundation (OSF), in the region.

A look at the database of OSF-funded NGOs reveals that several receive joint support from both the Soros network and the EU. Examples include Memétic Media in Paraguay; the Corporación Misión de Observación Electoral in Colombia; the Karisma Foundation; the pan-regional organization Committee for Free Expression; Centro Feminista de Estudos e Assessoria in Brazil, the Organización Nacional de Mujeres Indígenas y Amazónicas de Perú and Caribbean Vulnerable Communities, based in Jamaica.

The precedent for USAID-funded radical causes

In January, the USAID scandal came to light, revealing that for many years a vast network of progressive radical organizations had operated with U.S. taxpayer money, largely evading oversight under the guise of foreign aid.

Since Trump declared a freeze on USAID projects totaling more than $40 billion, a global push for accountability has gained momentum—extending far beyond domestic concerns about budget transparency and the responsible use of taxpayer funds.