Lestari

The premier verified all sources, checking them against information obtained by Paráense investigations and by the South American Organisation, before conveying her approval of Paraguay's independence. The SAO too would indicate strongly that its findings illustrated a Paraguay that was very much prepared for independence and capable of competent leadership, and that its sovereign administration had been democratically elected.

Alice dos Santos, the successor of Director Montessori to the helm of the South American Organisation, led a busy life. She oversaw the machine that, in her own admittedly fairly idealistic view, held South America together-- enabled the will of its people to be carried out to specification, provided a body through which aid and avenues for relief could be funneled, to sovereign nations and to unaligned regions of the continent, and acted as a neutral third party to amicably settle continental disputes. It was anything but an easy job, but she had expected nothing less when she'd stepped up to the challenge-- as long as the work she and the Organisation did benefited somebody in South America, it was worth the sweat. In her years acting in the capacity of the Director of the SAO, Alice had, needless to say, seen and heard of a lotta weird shit. Paraguay's rise-and-fall, rinse-and-repeat shenanigans were up there. Individual tales of mishaps across the protectorate often trumped some of the wackier antics that plagued continental politics from time to time. But an entire nation rising up from the protectorate right under the SAO's collective nose? And somehow that information had failed to reach her? Oh, somebody was gonna sting for that. Whoever had decided 'meh, fuck it, a sovereign nation claiming land in SAO protectorate? Doesn't really sound like something the Director needs to hear' was gonna burn hard. But that was not an immediate concern. That was something that could and would be dealt with in time. For now, the issue of British Hidalgo had to be resolved. Thus was it that Alice found herself in Treefort, the quaintly peculiar but admittedly charming capital of the nation of the Amazon Republic, standing by in a designated conference room as representatives from the so-called British Hidalgo entered the room, along with representatives from the Republic of Pará, the Imperio Republica, and, naturally, the Amazon Republic. Her predecessor, Montessori, was also present, providing his own input on the situation. For Alice's own part, she preferred to hear all angles involved before stating her own, and so she bade her time, taking meticulous note of all points brought up by the assorted representatives, until Administrator Del Fina of the Amazon Republic turned to her. "You, sir--" (Alice raised an eyebrow-- [I]It appears I am in dire need of a... uh, what do they call it, a makeover?[/I]). "-- are in charge of the South American Organization, what can you tell us about this situation?" Alice cleared her throat, and spoke in a forthright voice. "Though this situation has taken the Organisation woefully by surprise-- a communication breakdown that will, needless to say, be investigated and ameliorated immediately-- I can say with a confident degree of certainty that there have been no reports throughout the protectorate indicating substantial drug smuggling activity. We made certain to make thorough, intensive investigations into drug activity throughout the continent following claims by the late USCA that drug smugglers were active in Colombia, but those claims were proven quite mistaken, and since then we've maintained a stringent vigil for such activity." She paused briefly, and then continued. "Regarding specifically the matter of British Hidalgo... Well, the data regarding the territory the Hidalgo administration has claimed indicates no worrisome telltale signs of instability-- subsequent to Paraguay's final collapse, the Organisation assisted in the production of stable, solid infrastructure and political institutions for democratic leadership. However, such matters are rarely so straightforward as to be predicted accurately in their course. As it stands, I cannot claim our current information leads the Organisation to suspect this nascent administration's ability to provide competently for the people of its designated territory." ((I deliberately excluded any reference to the whole 'revolutionary war against Britain' thing, because that simply can't have happened-- Britain has never colonised South America in CNRP, and something that major can't be passed off as canon, much less recently. Other members of the SA community can and should, of course, weigh in on this opinion, but I believe you should retcon any mention of a revolutionary war against Britain and consider a different origin.))

The Republic of Pará did not share a border with British Hidalgo, and therefore the deployment of forces tasked with maintaining a vigil upon what appeared very much to be a rogue nation was left to the Amazon Republic. Pará, for its part, did put its military once more on high alert, and the premier issued orders for the armed forces to prepare for potential action-- after all, Pará had itself invaded the last government to inhabit the region now claimed by this 'British Hidalgo', in order to depose a psychotic dictator, and the two administrations prior to that one had been anything but hallmarks of stability and cooperation. It was necessary to proceed with caution but with firmness-- act decisively if the situation called for it, but remain reasonable. No sense jumping the gun-- better to wait the situation out and see what transpired. Official South American Organisation Announcement We thank the Amazon Republic for its acumen and prudence in this regard, and will be certain to send representatives to this meeting with the administration of British Hidalgo. Official Notice from the Republic of Pará "The nature of this nascent nation's genesis, even with the history of corruption and tyranny in this region notwithstanding, evokes trepidation and concern from those of us who have seen the people of historical Paraguay suffer through incompetent and aggressively militant regimes. My apprehension is only further aggrandised by the evident domination of this nation's leadership by some sort of British diaspora, which I find quite suspect given a lack of historical precedent-- there was certainly no surplus of Anglo-Saxons in Paraguay when Pará liberated the nation from its last grossly ineffectual regime. However, I've seen no reason yet to suspect either aggression or corruption from Hidalgo, so only time will tell whether my misgivings hold water. I also ask that the meeting with the leadership of Hidalgo be open to representatives of Pará and, of course, all other nations involved in the South American Organisation, as this is a matter that concerns us all." - Isabel Vieira, Premier

OOC: I just want to point out British Hidalgo doesn't exist in CNRP, because it's not on the map and lkfht never asked us for any protectorate space.

The Republic of Pará finds these recent developments in Uruguay deeply troublesome, and watches them closely.

Goddammit I thought I was onto something revolutionary there.

All buyers found, thanks for all the offers.

I'm a long-time, committed member, so no worries of inactivity from me. Willing to change resources and colour if necessary. Let me know. http://www.cybernations.net/nation_drill_display.asp?Nation_ID=494529 EDIT: Thanks for the offers, found one.

Got two slots open, looking for sellers at the standard rate-- 3 million for fifty tech. Shoot me a PM here: http://www.cybernations.net/nation_drill_display.asp?Nation_ID=494529

Classified The year brought further developments in the Paráense armed forces, particularly in terms of doctrine. The air force was in the process of preparing to phase in the F-35 Lightning II (and various variants) as its mainstay multirole fighter, replacing the dependable but aging F22 Raptor, and, following successful development and testing, the VSI helmet-mounted display system, primarily used with the F-35, had been adapted for other Paráense aircraft. Furthermore, production of JLENS system was now under way, which would provide an indispensably vital dimension to Paráense warfighting capabilities. Each platform, with a 360-degree range of detection of approximately 550 kilometres, could reach altitudes of ten thousand feet above sea level, remaining aloft and operational for up to thirty days, with each platform providing the same efficiency of coverage as five fixed wing surveillance crafts such as AWACS or JSTARS. At least two JLENS platforms would be assigned to each carrier group and to each wing of aircraft; one would run surveillance, whilst the other would run precise fire control. The missile corps received attention as well. A network of satellites was being worked on to provide Paráense cruise missiles and ICBMs greater guidance and resistance against jamming. [OOC: Will finish later]

The Republic of Pará sees fit to remind the Soviet Union that Merina is, in fact, a country and not a woman. Were the latter case true, that would shine rather an uncomfortable light on South Africa's invasion ultimatum. That said, the Republic urges Merina to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and loss, otherwise remaining neutral to the situation.

Shammy, Curristan, KaiserMelech

Though it was always unfortunate when a government proved unable to meet the pressure and the difficulties of maintaining a sovereign nation and securing a prosperous existence for its citizens, it would have been even more unfortunate for those citizens to be subjected to an incompetent government too proud or too corrupt to do the right thing. Therefore, that Paraguay's government had seen fit to request a return to protectorate status was fortuitous. Upon reception of the declaration, the SAO would mobilise its personnel, working with former Paraguayan administrators and personnel to ease the transition from a sovereign state to an SAO territory. Life would continue smoothly and largely uninterrupted for the Paraguayan people-- if anything, with SAO personnel improving existent Paraguayan infrastructure and providing a secure, stable administration for the Paraguayan people, life in Paraguay became more prosperous than it had been in many, many years.

[OOC: Retconned]

The journey was not long before they gradually approached their destination-- Signal Hill, as Paton introduced it. The small convoy crawled up the headland, overlooking Cape Town and, as they ascended, affording quite a view of the landscape below-- the urban horizon of the South African capital. Not far ahead lay the site of the meeting to come, and, as the car came to a gradual stop before the building in question, the premier took note of its elegant but humble stature-- not at all meant as a slight to the structure. It would function for its purpose, and in the end, that was pretty much the primary criteria, wasn't it? "Thank you," Isabel remarked gratefully as a South African agent pulled open the door for her, permitting her to step out of the car and into the breezy open air at the top of the knoll. President Paton emerged from his respective side as well, and the two heads of state fell in step as they proceeded towards the villa up ahead. "I'm quite honoured by your presence," Paton began speaking as they fell into a comfortable stride along the ridge. "You're the first international leader I've had the pleasure of introducing to these premises since the Union gained sovereignty out of the ashes of Arctica." "You flatter me," Isabel replied good-naturedly, and added honestly, "I daresay the honour of that would be wholly mine." Pleasantries did not occupy much time, of course-- in short order the discussion that had taken place en route to the villa resumed. "Reverting to what we were speaking of earlier, on the account of stable friends with relatively predictable behavior," Paton remarked. "I must say that I've been pleased with our solid relationship since we signed our accords. It has been since then that I've felt the need, however, to strengthen such relationships. As we spoke of before, uncertainty seems to have grown; the errant behavior and subsequent debacle with the PSSA, the fracturing of Germany creating a new Europe, the fate of which remains quite uncertain. All of these things contribute to South Africa's yearning to ensure its friendships are strengthened and bonds cemented. I'm not sure whether or not you are of the same opinion, but I felt as though my being succinct would be desirable." "A notable shift in global politics always necessitates a review of one's foreign policy priorities," Isabel agreed straightforwardly. "For my own part, I have felt it prudent to avoid involving Pará in any way with the..." [I]Constant clusterfuck?[/I] "[I]Unstable[/I] regimes that characterise Europe as a continent. North America has historically had something of an unspoken agreement to have nothing to do with South America, and as for Asia..." A wry smirk crossed her sharp-edged features. "Well, one may as well simply refer to the continent as 'Tianxia', a political entity in which Pará has little diplomatic interest. That leaves South Africa as one of Pará's very few ventures into diplomacy beyond South America itself. Given the history of stability and rationality our nations have in common, it's not strange to say it's a relationship worth continuing and cementing."

An independent SAO-conducted referendum regarding the matter of the territories of Mato Grosso du Sul, Tocantins, Piaui, and Goiás has concluded, finding that a plurality of the populace of the territories in question wish to join the Imperio Republica as provinces of that nation. To this end, SAO personnel are prepared to assist the Imperio Republica in integrating these territories as part of their sovereign nation in as fluidly, swiftly, and efficiently a manner as possible.

"It has come to the attention of the SAO that the Imperio Republica has been campaigning aggressively for annexation of the protectorate territory comprised primarily of Piauí. Though the SAO is not opposed to protectorate territory being integrated into sovereign nations, this can be done only-- absolutely only-- with the approval of the people of the protectorate. The Republica claims that the people of the territory want annexation, but this can be gauged solely through an SAO - supervised referendum, to be held at our discretion." An official statement from Pará would follow shortly thereafter. "The Republic of Pará, for its own part, looks upon the Republica's efforts to annex the territory in question with great scepticism. Their history of aggressively seeking expansion, as well as this concerning use of terms like 'manifest destiny'-- used by nations such as the Holy American Empire and the first incarnation of the United States of America to justify military expansion, displacement, and genocide-- does not allay our apprehension. If anything, were the people of Piauí to desire integration with a sovereign nation, Pará, with as much a bond of proximity to the territory as the Republica, with the added benefit of a historical Brazilian cultural connection, would prove a better option. Pará presents many of the same benefits claimed by the Republica in their campaign for annexation-- work opportunities, free and quality education, institutions to help those who have fallen upon hard times back to their feet, the full industry of the Republic. Pará has a history of stability and actions governed by an overarching pursuit of collective South American unity and peace, not to mention being one of, if not indeed the most long term and most prolific extant provider of funds to the SAO. We present this purely as an option should the people of the territory in question seek integration into an independent nation: for its part, Pará is merely concerned with the Republica's aggressive campaigning for annexation, their talk of manifest destiny and clear drive to expand." OOC: There are a couple ways this can be done-- I could put up a poll, with options like 'integrate into Pará, integrate into Republica, or remain part of the SAO', open only to SA nations, but considering there's about five of us present, that may not be the most productive option :v Otherwise, however, that seems to me to be the most reasonable option. We could also do it from more of a roleplay perspective, but that is all too often muddled up by the OOC aims of the respective nations involved. I'm open to suggestions.

"You share a lot in common with our Foreign Minister, Lawrence Tenerife," the South African president chuckled, and the premier returned with an acute smile. "I can only hope that's a compliment." "You hit on a point that South Africa is quite sensitive about," Paton continued, evidently growing once again quite involved in the point he was making-- it seemed to be a habit, if what admittedly little the premier had noted was any indication. "Becoming a proxy or overshadowed by the powers of the world. It would nullify our efforts to see regional politics blossom, but also sour our relations and even damage our standing in the long run. Many countries see an easy way out, and remain blissfully ignorant, crumbling alone when they offend the powers that be." At that point Paton fell silent, falling into a spell of wordless thought, before he looked back to Isabel with a good-natured smile. "I apologise. I must say that the enduring overall peace of the world is something to be proud and thankful for, but it comes at a cost. As you can probably tell, my grandfather and two of my uncles were Lutheran ministers." "Well, you're certainly a hell of an orator, I guess I could say that," Isabel replied with a breezy chuckle. "Not that there's anything wrong about that, of course." Her interjection aside, the discussion continued. "That being said, I can appreciate your position. It can sometimes be quite difficult to find stable friends, who won't make sudden rash actions. It not only puts you in a difficult position if their actions are militarily responded to and forces you to support them, their actions threaten your sovereignty directly. It's a difficult road one must take, determining who to associate with, but at the end of the day, the more consideration put into it, the better the results, in my opinion." "I wouldn't say that's opinion so much as fact," Isabel remarked candidly, before adding, "But that's how it is with anything. The more consideration you give, the more mileage, so to speak, you get." She wasn't sure much what else to say, so she left it at that-- she'd never really been much of a talker. Entirely regardless of what changed about her worldview, her policies, her beliefs, a tendency towards aloofness in demeanour was the one constant. Had been when she'd been a kid prowlin' the soot-stained streets of the old, now defunct Holy American city of Phoenicia, had been as a marine, still was now as the leader of a sovereign nation, long after the city and the nation of her youth had vanished from the annals of history in a violent torrent of civil war. She was not like, say, Admiral Kaneda, who well and truly did feel perfectly comfortable navigating social situations with aplomb and astute acumen-- Isabel was just very, very good at pretending to be. But hell, her history and her habits were not remotely the subject of concern at this point-- no point reflecting on either, because neither ever changed. She merely turned her gaze out the window, taking in the almost anachronistic architecture of this new region of Cape Town they had entered, replete with rather more distinctly English engineering-- at least, Isabel would have guessed as much. She was about as well versed in architecture as your average toad is educated in matters of feminist theory, so for all she knew it was Dutch, or Russian, or Canadian-- coulda been anything, she wouldn't've known much better.

"That's a resolution I think would be favourable to all involved. Pará would not be opposed to Paraguay's military exercises as long as they are conducted under our supervision, as well as that of Argentina and any other South American nation that wishes to oversee them. Given Paraguay's history of internal instability and unwarranted military aggression, it is a fair stipulation."

Paraguay is currently at a critical juncture-- you have recently experienced much internal turmoil, and engaged in activities that have incurred the displeasure of the South American community. By this, I refer of course to the shift in government necessitated by the Chilean ultimatum and, more recently, the rise and rapid downfall of a nigh-psychotic pretender 'emperor' whose wide support amongst the populace is indicative of the state of Paraguay's standard of life. The latter point refers to the aggressive expansionist policies that necessitated the aforementioned Chilean ultimatum. At this point, conducting war games would not make a favourable impression of Paraguay upon both the nations of South America, and the people of the protectorate territory you attempted to annex against their will.

Yeah, no, I'm not in favour of incorporating this particular feature into RP. Some things have to remain RP-based rather than IG-based.

"We find it curious that your investigators failed to note the presence either of SAO investigators, nor the Argentine investigators who were also present. If you consider this evidence feasible proof of cartel activity, please forward it to the SAO administration to be analysed: however, considering your investigators failed to notice two other major investigations into the same matter occurring at the same time and place, I somehow suspect the evidence gleaned is less than conclusive."

The official SAO investigation into allegations of drug cartels operating out of Colombia has concluded and produced an assortment of evidence proving the claim to be patently baseless. No evidence has emerged supporting drug cartel activity in Colombia of any meaningful scale, and the SAO officially considers the matter closed.

"I must say that a strong and unified South America, free to conduct its own business without interruption or intervention, is quite good news for me to hear," Paton remarked upon Isabel's answer. "All too many continents fall under the influence of others who might not even be of that continent, but feel it is their business to get involved there for whatever reason." "I'm all too aware of that... South America seemed to attract the fortunately short-lived interest of one such entity not long ago," the premier noted lowly, recalling the incident with Tianxia that had resulted in the downfall of three South American sovereign nations. The subject of conversation proceeded on to Paton's own answer. "South Africa continues to find itself assuming more responsibilities as its influence grows," the South African president commented. "But I fear that for the friends that it has appeared to find itself associated with, there is always uncertainty on the horizon. The world seems to be ever-changing around us, South Africa has done much to ensure its people are employed, roofs over their heads, food in their stomachs, and protected. South Africa continues to take a more prominent role in the security of the region, and ensuring the nations of Central and Southern Africa are well protected. I wish I could count many associates among my neighbors, but a unified Africa, such as one under the AUP, is something that seems to be quite far away. Nor would I want an organization exactly like the African Unity Pact to find itself unifying these lands again, I would rather they not be unified at all. The nations of that pact buried their heads in the sand together, they isolated themselves due to paranoia and longstanding grudges. Look what has happened to them now." The president's expression took on almost something like a mournful mien as his voice grew briefly somber. Shortly thereafter, however, he turned another question on the premier. "Where is your nation looking to strengthen its global reaches in terms of diplomatic relations?" Paton ventured, before adding a quick "If I may ask?" "I wouldn't say it's so much a question of where," the premier replied, hesitating for a brief second to organise her thoughts into a concisely accurate and decisive responce. "Though I have historically focused on diplomacy in our home continent, I am not averse to establishing relations with a nation anywhere in the world so long as it proves governed by a stable, rational leadership that lacks ties to entities or nations I would not in turn want to be tied to by proxy. These days it's none too straightforward an affair to find such nations, of course. It's necessary for me to maintain a sense of caution and awareness when going about diplomatic affairs, lest I inadvertently end up putting Pará in arms with the next PSSA-- nations that appear peaceable and reasonable one day, only for the next day to find them launching nuclear weapons at the cities of another country with the ease with which one might pull petals off a flower at the side of the road."

We find it odd Paraguay feels the need to chastise us all for bickering with the USCA and, apparently, doing nothing to investigate their claim, given every single South American nation has delivered reasoned, rational explanations as to why the activity could not have originated in Colombia, to say nothing of the SAO investigation currently underway into the matter.