U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has scaled back a key government report on human rights worldwide, dramatically softening criticism of some countries that have been strong partners of the Republican president, such as El Salvador and Israel, which rights groups say have extensive records of abuses.
Instead, the U.S. State Department in its widely anticipated 2024 Human Rights Report sounded an alarm about the erosion of freedom of speech in Europe and ramped up criticism of Brazil and South Africa, countries Washington has clashed with over a host of issues.
Any criticism of governments over their treatment of LGBTQ+ rights, which appeared in editions of the report from the administration of former President Joe Biden, appeared to have been largely omitted. Washington referred to Russia's invasion of Ukraine mainly as the "Russia-Ukraine war."
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