Leaked documents reviewed by The Grayzone indicate that U.S. government–funded organizations covertly supported and trained Nepalese youth activists in the years leading up to the violent overthrow of Nepal’s government in September, amid Washington’s efforts to curb what it perceives as Chinese and Indian influence in the country.

According to Al Mayadeen’s Saturday report, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) spent hundreds of thousands of dollars financing programs that trained young Nepalese in “strategies and skills in organizing protests and demonstrations.”

The initiatives were overseen by the International Republican Institute (IRI), an NED-affiliated organization, and were explicitly designed to cultivate a network of activists that could “become an important force to support U.S. interests.”

The documents describe a coordinated effort to connect “vibrant youth” with political leaders while providing “comprehensive training on how to launch advocacy campaigns and protests.”

The demonstrations would focus on “issues selected” by the institute and its local partners, with the aim of ensuring that “the U.S. concerns with Nepal’s democracy [would] be resolved,” one IRI report stated.

Nepal plunged into unrest in September after authorities blocked access to major social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and X, citing the companies’ failure to comply with local registration requirements. The resulting violence left at least 76 people dead, including several police officers, and forced the resignation of communist prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli within days.

He was later replaced by interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki, chosen through an anonymous Discord poll that reportedly drew fewer than 10,000 votes.

While much of the Western media portrayed the unrest as a “peaceful, pro-democracy uprising,” video footage showed armed groups rampaging through cities, with some protesters carrying semi-automatic weapons.

The leaked documents suggest Nepal held particular strategic importance for U.S.-backed programs. IRI described the country’s “strategic geographic location” between China and India as making it “core” to Washington’s Indo-Pacific ambitions, which include limiting Beijing’s regional influence.