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CDs attempt to coordinate international CD activity through an organization they called the New International Team (NIT). This organization never achieved any significance because European influence in Latin America had already been undermined by a basic difference in political philosophy and because the Latin American parties had been maintaining individual relations with the various European groups. These ties were strictly on vague ideological grounds and for financial reasons.

The two heaviest European contributors to the Latin American parties are the Institute for International Solidarity (IIS) and the International Solidarity Foundation (FIS). Between them they will contribute an estimated $800,000 to $1,000,000 to the American CD parties and CLASC in calendar year 1967. In addition, it was recently reported that the COPEI party of Venezuela will receive $480,000 for the 1968 election from FIS.

The IIS, under the direction of Adolf Heckermeier, is an arm of the West German Christlich Democratic Union which is the bulk of its budget coming directly from the German government. It maintains several permanent representatives in Latin America and supports youth and student groups, political training institutes, and CLASC organizations.

The FIS, under the leadership of Dr. Johannes Schauff, operates as an arm of the European Christian Democratic Union (EDU), successor to the NIT. Since its creation in 1964, Germans and Italians have contributed almost its entire budget. FIS appears to be the exclusive European channel for all organizations support to the Latin American parties. It has assumed this responsibility because it is composed of representatives of all the European parties. Thus the responsibility for support to certain controversial Latin parties is watered down and distributed among the European CD parties collectively. Furthermore, a Latin American government or party in competition with the local CDs cannot formally protest its funding activities to the German government.

Outlook

The modest progress made by the Christian Democratic movement in the past two-and-a-half years suggests that its advance will be much slower and less energetic than anticipated in the first flush of enthusiasm following the Frei victory.

One major problem is its failure to reach the lower social classes and to develop a significant worker base. Its strength in the universities and its ability to compete with Communist groups on this campus create an unbalanced situation. The traditional appeal of the Christian Democrats among the attractive college educated has no comparable appeal among the inadequately educated lower classes.

Neither does a victory for one party seem likely to have

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Page 8 SPECIAL REPORT 3 Mar 67