Documents / FOIA release
This is a compilation of Department of State Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) briefing notes to the Director of INR, mostly dated June 12, 1968, with some from June 6, 1968. The notes cover world events, including student riots in Paris, East German passport and visa rules for West Germans, a UN resolution on South West Africa, a change of Komsomol leadership, Sino-Nepalese relations, and the Colombian presidential resignation crisis. Unrest in Senegal and Somalia is also covered. None of the notes discuss UFOs.
“Mission Control”3 pages
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GIST: VENEZUELA: New Electoral Alliance for December Presidential Elections Formed TO: The Director, INR DATE: June 10, 1968 TIME: morning briefing COMMENTS CONTAINED IN INR BRIEFING NOTES ARE INITIAL AND TENTATIVE. Caracas 6/10/68 Conf. After months of indecision three important but relatively small opposition parties have formed an electoral alliance to support current Ambassador to Court of St. James BURTLI Rivas in the December presidential election. Burelli is young (46), handsome, and reportedly articulate. He is closely associated with the Church, has had extensive diplomatic and academic experience and is close to Pres. Leoni, who has already congratulated him on his candidacy. Informal group of financial leaders (MNI) which has been a prime mover in effort to achieve alliance, has not yet committed itself to Burelli but is expected to do so soon thereby adding essential financial ingredient to alliance. Embassy Comment: The new coalition reduces number serious presidential candidates from 6 to 4, thereby reducing fractionalization process which had seized Ven politics. Burelli personal appeal not yet tested but appears to be a serious challenger to current front-runners, Prieto (MEP) and Caldera (Christian Democrat). Alliance ends Prieto's hope of enticing one of three parties into alliance with his MEP which would have assured him of victory. Caldera also had hopes attracting one of three winning expunctions allied parties. Burelli should be especially strong in the Federal District. Alliance could still dissolve, especially if financial leaders (MNI) withhold or withdraw support. MNI has told Embassy will back alliance candidate only as long as his candidacy seemed to prosper. If Burelli's ef ort fizzled, MNI would invest in Caldera. IMR Comment: Burelli appears to be an excellent choice and should become a very serious contender. Lately there have been some signs that the candidacy of Prieto (who broke from the governing Accion Democratica --AD-- when it nominated party leader Gonzalo Barrios despite Prieto's primary victory) has peaked a little early. Also there have been some signs that the candidacy of Gonzalo Barrios (which had appeared very weak) has been doing better. Now the race would appear to be wide open with all four candidates fairly strong. Prieto and Caldera still have slight edges over the other two, however.
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 132 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.