7. National Security Study Memorandum 681 2
TO:
- The Secretary of State
- The Director, Central Intelligence Agency
- The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
SUBJECT:
- Report on Military and Church in Latin America
As a result of the NSC meeting of July 9 on Latin American policy, the President has directed that the following reports be prepared by the indicated agencies and processed through the IG/ARA and Review Group:
CIA—The Church in Latin America
This should include a country by country analysis of the church establishment, its role in society, the trends within it and the leading personalities. It should also include an analysis of the role and significance of foreign clergy and non-Catholic groups and missionaries.
JCS—The Military Establishments in Latin America
This should cover a country by country analysis of the military establishments, their make-up, tradition, role in society and political development, different trends within them, and identification of key leaders.
The Church report should be submitted to the Review Group by October 10, and the Military report by October 30.
In addition, the President directed that the State Department undertake through our Embassies, and utilizing youth committees and other sources, an effort to identify future leaders in each country and to maximize contacts with them. The IG/ARA is asked to provide the Under Secretaries’ Committee by October 1 with a report of what has and is being done in this regard for submission to the President.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–159. Secret. A copy was sent to the Secretary of Defense. The CIA report is published as Document 13. The JCS report has not been found.↩
- Following the July 9 NSC meeting on Latin American policy, Nixon directed that the CIA prepare a report on the Catholic Church in Latin America by October 10 and that the Joint Chiefs of Staff prepare a report on the Military Establishments in Latin America by October 30.↩