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CONTINUATION OFDISPATCHSECRETBOOK UTSPATCH 5961continue to tolerate and thus abet the irresponsibility of theLatin CD parties because there are no standards at all. ODCAleader Caldera appears to recognize the need for at least somebasic ideological common ground among ODCA-member parties. Butno signal success has been achieved in this direction to dateand we are not at all sanguine that even modest progress will bemade in this regard in the foreseeable future. Reporting on theCongress of the World Christian Democratic Union (CDU) held inLims in April 1966 indicates clearly that the Latin Americanparties will not submit without combat to any effort (whetherinitiated by the European financial backers of the CD movementor by ODCA) that aims at imposing standards and controls thatwill impinge on their complete freedom of action.15. Formation of Central American Regional Grouping. The    Central Americea CD parties act in El Salvador in July 1966 to    establish a smaller regional grouping, The Union Democrata Cristiana    de Centromerica (UDCCA). This action does not appear to reflect    any element of pique with ODCA (the relations of COPEI and Rafael    Caldera with the Central American parties appear close and cordial)    but rather a desire to establish a smaller and more cohesive unit    that can better address itself to the problems common to the    area and, to a lesser extent, to the individual CD parties. UDCCA    is comprised of five parties (in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua,    Costa Rica and Panama), with the possibility that a sixth party    will be formed in Honduras.V - EUROPEAN CD ROLE AND INFLUENCE16. The European Christian Democratic Union (ECDU). The    European CD parties were first to establish a regional organization,    the Nouvelle Equipe Internationales (NEI) in 1947. The NEI never    played a major role in world Christian Democratic affairs. From    the outset the Latin American parties maintained their closest    ties with individual leaders of the CD movement in Europe, particu-    larly those involved in financial operations with the sister parties    and CLASC in Latin America. The NEI became progressively less    significant and in recent years was virtually moribund. But in    mid-1965 the organization was revamped and re-christened as the    European Christian Democratic Union (ECDU). Its newly elected    President, Mariano Rumor, Secretary General of the Italian PDC,    appears intent on making the ECDU a strong organization which will    at least match the Socialist International in stature.17. European Financial Support to the CD Parties. The two CD    organizations which have contributed most heavily to the support    of the Latin American CD parties and related organizations 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 CD parties and CLASC in    Calendar Year 1967. It was recently reported that the COPEI party    of Venezuela will receive $450,000 for the 1968 election from FIS    at the rate of $160,000 per year commencing in 1966.a. The IIS. The Institute for International Solidarity,headed until recently by Dr. Peter Molt (the new Director isAdolf Herkenrath), is an arm of the Konrad Adenauer Foundationof the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Like its