The U.S. announces its official withdrawal from the WHO due to "failures during the pandemic."

The United States formalized its exit from the World Health Organization (WHO) this Thursday, a decision announced in a joint statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. They stated that the measure aims to “free the country from the bindings” of the international organization and fulfill a promise made by President Donald Trump.

The decision, made through executive order 14155 signed by Trump on his first day in office, ends more than seven decades of U.S. participation in the WHO, of which it was a founding member and major financial contributor.

According to the official statement, the withdrawal responds to the "failures" committed by the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic and its "politicized agenda," which—according to Washington—would have harmed the interests of the American people.

"Like many international organizations, the WHO has abandoned its fundamental mission and has repeatedly acted against the interests of the United States."

"It obstructed the timely and accurate exchange of information that could have saved lives and then covered up its shortcomings under the pretext of acting for public health," the text states.

Rubio and Kennedy stated that, even in the final days of their relationship, the WHO has "disregarded the United States" by refusing to return the American flag that was flying in front of its headquarters in Geneva and demanding financial compensation following the withdrawal.

"From our days as the principal founder and largest financier to today, insults towards the United States continue," they added.

The U.S. government has announced that, effective immediately, all interactions with the WHO will be limited to the necessary measures to implement the exit and protect the health of the American people.

It also confirmed that all funding and staff presence in projects related to the organization are immediately suspended.

"The withdrawal from the United States is for the victims: those who died alone in nursing homes, the small businesses destroyed by restrictions driven by the WHO, and the lives shattered by its inaction," the statement concludes, accusing the organization of becoming "an inefficient and irreparable bureaucracy."

Washington assured that it will continue to lead global health efforts through bilateral partnerships and models that are "more effective, transparent, and results-oriented," replacing what it described as "the inflated and politicized structure of the WHO."