Balen Shah rises as Nepal PM with US backing

Shah's ascent, driven by youth-led anti-establishment sentiment, follows a 2025 uprising that ousted former PM K.P. Sharma Oli. However, investigative reports reveal substantial American involvement, with over $900 million in US assistance since 2020, including a $500 million Millennium Challenge Corporation compact.

Programs by USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy explicitly identified and supported "catalytic leaders" like Shah, providing training and platforms for political mobilization. This foreign funding, totaling over $200 million for democratic processes, aimed to counter regional influence from India and China and align Nepal's governance with Western frameworks, marking a historic political shift shaped by both domestic activism and significant external intervention.