Older people say that everything has begun back in 70s. When the Soviet party bosses were extremely dissatisfied with the presidency of intractable Max Euwe and Friðrik Ólafsson [1] whom they regarded as anti-Soviet. Then Campomanes [2] came in very handy. By the time nobody wanted to have anything to do the FIDE, he just sold his presidency to Kirsan Nikolayevitch.
1) "During he tenure he presided over the 1981 Karpov–Korchnoi World Championship match. Since Korchnoi defected from the Soviet Union in 1976, the Soviets were holding Korchnoi's son, Igor. Olafsson delayed the planned September 19 start date of the match in a bid to get the Soviets to release Victor's son. For this attempt, Olafsson drew the wrath of the Soviets, who then backed the FIDE Vice-President, Florencio Campomanes for Presidency of FIDE."
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friðrik_Ólafsson
2) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florencio_Campomanes
1) "During he tenure he presided over the 1981 Karpov–Korchnoi World Championship match. Since Korchnoi defected from the Soviet Union in 1976, the Soviets were holding Korchnoi's son, Igor. Olafsson delayed the planned September 19 start date of the match in a bid to get the Soviets to release Victor's son. For this attempt, Olafsson drew the wrath of the Soviets, who then backed the FIDE Vice-President, Florencio Campomanes for Presidency of FIDE."
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friðrik_Ólafsson
2) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florencio_Campomanes