NED · VENEZUELA — 50 grants, $9.3M
Key claim: The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is providing 50 active grants totaling $9.3M to largely unnamed grantees in Venezuela for democracy, elections, leadership, and advocacy work.
Abstract
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has 50 active grants in VENEZUELA totaling $9.3M (public listing as of 2026-07-15). Grantee names are largely withheld for grantee safety (NED duty of care). Sample projects: Mobilizing Regional Actors for National Elections ($249.9K); Fostering Democratic Leadership Development ($240.0K); Building Partnerships for International Advocacy ($159.9K); Fostering Democracy Through Research and Dialogue ($179.0K).
Why this matters
Venezuela remains one of NED’s most politically charged country portfolios, and the jump from 43 / $7.7M to 50 / $9.3M signals continued scaling of U.S. democracy-promotion spending amid the Maduro government’s contested legitimacy. As with other sensitive-context NED programs, onward grantee identities are largely withheld, so the pass-through trail from NED to Venezuelan civil society operators goes cold at the country-portfolio line.