Office of the Historian

215. Memorandum Prepared for the 303 Committee1

Washington, June 28, 1968.

SUBJECT

  • Results of Covert Financial Contributions to the Revolutionary Social Christian Party for the May 1968 Municipal Elections in the Dominican Republic
1.
On 16 February 1968, the 303 Committee approved covert financial support to the Revolutionary Social Christian Party (PRSC) to encourage that party to participate effectively in the May 1968 municipal elections and thus provide a responsible opposition to President Balaguerʼs Reformist Party (PR).2 The basis for this decision was that, with the abstention of the Dominican Revolutionary Party(PRD) and other opposition parties from the elections, the Balaguer government was in danger of being deprived of the psychological impact which a contested election would have in the Dominican Republic.
2.
The covert passage of funds to the PRSC had its desired effect. The party withstood heavy pressure from the PRD and other abstentionists—including some of its own young militants—and participated in the May elections. While the psychological impact on Dominican voters of the PRSC decision to participate in the elections would be difficult to evaluate with precision, it undoubtedly made a significant contribution, along with other factors, in inducing a highly encouraging voter turn-out of 1,028,410 on election day—a figure which compares very favorably with the 1,354,404 persons who voted in the more hotly contested and more significant presidential elections of 1966. By its participation in the electoral contest, the PRSC also enhanced its image as the “loyal opposition,” garnering more than 124,000 votes—a fourfold increase over its showing in the 1966 elections. The participation of a responsible opposition also served to make the victory of the PR more generally acceptable and had the net effect of strengthening both President Balaguerʼs image and the democratic process in the Dominican Republic.
  1. Source: Department of State, INR/IL Historical Files, 303 Committee Records, 1968. Secret; Eyes Only. The date of this memorandum is stamped at the bottom of the first page. A copy was sent under a July 2 covering memorandum from Oliver through Trueheart to Bohlen. In this memorandum, Oliver wrote: “ARA agrees that our aid to the PRSC contributed to the results [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] named, and I therefore recommend that in the 303 Committee you note your approval of the attached [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] memorandum.” No record of such approval has been found.↩
  2. See Document 211.↩