Lestari Posted September 13, 2012 Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 Isabel had felt she was not wrong in anticipating the effects of the recent economic pact signed with Colombia--that it would alleviate some of the recent hardships that had befallen the Paráense economy was certainly beyond question. But would it be enough? The immediate answer was that it wouldn't be--not with the continuing overpopulation of the nation's population centres. It should not, in retrospect, have been a surprise. Pará was not an ideal population centre in and of itself, with more than half the nation swallowed up by the Amazon; and yet, having been one of few relatively safer havens during the old Civil War (due, in large part, one may have taken pause to note, the very same former rebel leaders who now comprised the Paráense government) refugees had flocked to the little province, quickly clogging up those few parts of Pará which were not already clogged up by the uncompromising, ever-present mistress that was the Amazon Rainforest. Even taking into account the eventual dispersion of those former refugees into other lands following the end of the War and the days of the Lunar Republic, Pará had never quite 'recovered', were that term to be deemed appropriate, from that initial massive influx of immigrants. And now, as an independent nation, that was devastating Pará, socially and economically, more than ever. If this problem was to be fixed fully, more steps would need to be taken. Economic pacts were not enough. Encouraging foreign business and capital wouldn't do the trick. Pará needed more land. Isabel had intended to set up a meeting with representatives of what had then been the Umbrella Commonwealth, to discuss the potential purchase of land that wasn't, y'know, eaten up almost completely by inhospitable rainforest. Unfortunate, then, it had been, that this problem had come to bear on the still-nascent nation at a most inopportune time--that is, coinciding with the rise of an insurrection in Umbrella that Isabel...preferred not to think about anymore. It was dead and gone and done with, but sadly, it had taken the Umbrella Commonwealth down with it, leaving the entire nation to seek governance from the nation of Mexico. Shortly after, Mexico obliged, and with that, vast tracts of South America became Mexican protectorate. And the difficulties plaguing Pará persisted. Today that would come to an end. Isabel had only just returned from the coast at Castanhal, from her meeting with Lorenzo Barrachos of Colombia, returned to the humble little house that she alone called home. And yet the only reason she'd even stopped there in the first place as opposed to simply venturing onwards to the Capitol Building to meet with her cabinet--perhaps to inquire with General Vara as to the status of the recent galvanisation and modernisation of the armed forces, perhaps to discuss with Dr. Marconi her plans for the Paráense education system in the wake of the estimated effects of the recent economic agreement with Colombia--was that there was a letter that needed to be sent, and it needed to be sent as soon as possible. No time to meet with the cabinet, and certainly not so much as a second to waste on repose. It was about time for Pará to get on the whole 'meeting with Mexico' fad that had seemed all the rage in foreign affairs not long ago. Late to the party, but she could think of no more opportune and certainly no more vital time for it than now. And so it was that she composed the communiqué and sent it--at short notice, surely, and hastily composed, but it was more necessary now than ever. [quote]To: José Eduardo Calzada Rovirosa, President of the United Mexican States From: Isabel Vieira, Premier of the Federativa República do Pará Good afternoon, Mister Rovirosa, I hope this letter finds both you and the people of Mexico in a prosperous and healthy state, as well as the people of the protectorate you have recently taken under your wing in the aftermath of the recent collapse of the Umbrellan government to insurrection and violence. Indeed, it is largely with regards to this protectorate that the subject of this letter pertains. Geography wise, what with the vast majority of the land dominated by impenetrable rainforest, Pará has never been a location favourable for rapid and widespread population expansion, and yet it is exactly that sort of recent population explosion, and the resulting overpopulation that has devastated Pará socially and economically, that has necessitated that I request to meet with representatives of the United States of Mexico to negotiate the possibility of purchasing neighbouring lands currently protected by Mexico. Namely, the rest of the old province of Pará, and Maranhão. I do not ask this lightly, for I am aware of the drastic effects such changes inevitably have on the citizens of the lands in question, but I also feel it wholly possible that, if I may be so bold, the populace of Maranhão and Pará may themselves be in support of unity with the Republic of Pará, as historically Brazilian provinces with very similar cultures and outlooks. This, however, I cannot myself gauge--that much can only be determined by Mexico, should you be willing to negotiate this matter. I merely wish to know if the possibility is even on the table. I anticipate your reply with great hope that it may bring the news necessary to solve the crisis Pará faces today. Sincerely, Isabel Vieira[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voodoo Nova Posted September 19, 2012 Report Share Posted September 19, 2012 (edited) [quote]To: Isabel Vieira, Premier of the Federativa República do Pará From: José Eduardo Calzada Rovirosa, President of the United Mexican States Ms Vieira, Mexico will be willing to open negotiations over neighboring lands in South America. We are concerned for the population, but we would like to make sure you understand that the purchase of the territory will not be solely up to Mexico. We will ask the people if they approve of the transferring of authority. I believe it is essential that the people who do live there have the ability to determine if they wish to become a part of your nation. I also believe it is essential to allow those who do not want to become citizens of your nation to move beyond your borders. I would like you to meet with First Secretary for South America, Rita Torregrosa, in Zocalo, Mexico. I hope you understand, as I am currently in the process of transferring the Presidency to the President-Elect. Sincerely, José Eduardo Calzada Rovirosa President of the United Mexican States[/quote] Edited September 19, 2012 by Voodoo Nova Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lestari Posted September 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2012 Shortly after receiving the responce, Isabel sent back another--a terse reply, nothing altogether elabourate, stating merely that she of course understood that the feelings of the people of former Maranhão and provincial Pará were foremost. She let the president know that she would be at Zocalo in three days time--practically wanted to set off right that very moment, but she forced herself to exercise patience, that most difficult of virtues, one she was still in the process of truly mastering. And in the meantime, she returned to the Capital Building, met with her cabinet, informed them of her decision and sought to meet specifically with each Director to receive a comprehensive update on the situation with regards to each and every department's domain--education, economy, military. If indeed it came about that old Pará and Maranhão chose unity with the Republic, it would have ground breaking implications and consequences for every department. Most of them, Isabel felt certain, beneficial to both the people of those two former provinces and to the Republic on the whole. Three days of discussion and tireless dialogue amongst the Premier and her cabinet went by in a haze of statistics, projections, estimates, and simple, hopeful anticipations, once hollow, now truly possible. Armed with up to date, in depth information from all angles of the situation, Premier Vieira embarked to Mexico to meet with Rita Torregrosa, arriving soon after in Zocalo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voodoo Nova Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 [quote name='dotCom' timestamp='1348176303' post='3032427'] Shortly after receiving the responce, Isabel sent back another--a terse reply, nothing altogether elabourate, stating merely that she of course understood that the feelings of the people of former Maranhão and provincial Pará were foremost. She let the president know that she would be at Zocalo in three days time--practically wanted to set off right that very moment, but she forced herself to exercise patience, that most difficult of virtues, one she was still in the process of truly mastering. And in the meantime, she returned to the Capital Building, met with her cabinet, informed them of her decision and sought to meet specifically with each Director to receive a comprehensive update on the situation with regards to each and every department's domain--education, economy, military. If indeed it came about that old Pará and Maranhão chose unity with the Republic, it would have ground breaking implications and consequences for every department. Most of them, Isabel felt certain, beneficial to both the people of those two former provinces and to the Republic on the whole. Three days of discussion and tireless dialogue amongst the Premier and her cabinet went by in a haze of statistics, projections, estimates, and simple, hopeful anticipations, once hollow, now truly possible. Armed with up to date, in depth information from all angles of the situation, Premier Vieira embarked to Mexico to meet with Rita Torregrosa, arriving soon after in Zocalo... [/quote] Vieira would be welcomed outside the National Palace, where she would meet with Secretary Torregorsa. Members of the Federal Police would escort her throughout the Palace. Premier Vieira would be given a tour of the Palace, by one of the oldest curators in service, along the path to the conference room. Luis would detail the histories of some of the art, the furniture and stories about some of the rooms they would pass. Luis ended the tour at the conference room and offered to take the Premier and her staff on a tour of Mexico City after the meeting, free of charge. When Rita saw the Premier at the entrance, she organized her notes and papers before standing up to introduce herself. "Hello Premier Vieira, it's a pleasure to meet you." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lestari Posted September 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 (edited) It hardly needed to be said--at least, not for those who had known her longest--that Isabel Vieira was not at her base a creature of patience. Au contraire--she was by her very nature an impulsive woman, prone very much to acting on her whims and reacting without necessarily putting the appropriate amount of thought into it. Self-control was a virtue that, for most of her life, Isabel had not been graced with. It'd taken an almost comical amount of restraint and determination to sculpt the image of control and politeness she knew she, as the leader of an independent nation and representative of a sovereign people, simply needed to have--and still, sometimes, she lost it. Still, sometimes, she reverted to the brazen, angry, and all-too-often rude persona she'd been possessed of in years long since past, and fortunately such glimpses into her actual nature as a person only emerged when she was well and alone, with nobody to realise Isabel Vieira was not quite the polite, mild-mannered premier she showed herself to be to the public. What was the relevance of this? Well, for one, had thirty year old Isabel Vieira found herself faced with a kindly old curator taking the time to tour her around the palace, the towering officer would've told gramps to run along back to his nursing home, she had business needed doin' and looking at old paintings wasn't part of it (she hadn't exactly been the most cultured sort at the time). Yeah, there was a reason she hadn't exactly been in any position of political power at that time. But fortunately she was not thirty year old Isabel Vieira anymore. She was twenty years past that impatient, irascible...well, !@#hole, so even as her anticipation for the meeting ran high and her anxiety to get things started bit at her nerves, Isabel simply went along with it when the elderly curator--Luis, as he introduced himself--offered to escort her along a tour of sorts through the National Palace. Even enjoyed it, as it served to calm her mind and assuage her concerns of the meeting ahead, and she listened with respectful attention (and growing interest) to the details of the rooms and the paintings. By the time Luis terminated the tour at the doorway to the conference room, Isabel graciously accepted the offer of a further tour of the city itself. But at that point, the gears shifted back to business. Beyond the door into the conference room sat Secretary Rita Torregrosa; as Isabel entered the room, the Secretary stood, notes and folders on hand, and approached. "Hello Premier Vieira," Torregrosa said by way of greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you." "The pleasure is entirely mine," Isabel replied, extending a hand to Torregrosa in greeting. "Thank you very much for agreeing to this meeting. It's my hope that it will represent the will of the people of old Pará and Maranhão and provide much-needed room for Pará's population to spread out a bit." Edited September 29, 2012 by dotCom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voodoo Nova Posted October 2, 2012 Report Share Posted October 2, 2012 [quote name='dotCom' timestamp='1348891385' post='3035541'] "The pleasure is entirely mine," Isabel replied, extending a hand to Torregrosa in greeting. "Thank you very much for agreeing to this meeting. It's my hope that it will represent the will of the people of old Pará and Maranhão and provide much-needed room for Pará's population to spread out a bit." [/quote] Torregrosa studied the information regarding the situation in Pará prior to the meeting. She was ready, but she needed to know more. "Please take a seat." she said before an aide pulled out a chair for her. Rita took a seat as Isabel sat down. She offered Isabel a drink before asking her first question. "From my understanding, Pará is having a population boom as well as a large amount of growth. Unfortunately, I am not extremely versed on the specific issues currently facing your nation. Because of this, I would like to know: what is the current situation in Pará?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lestari Posted October 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2012 "Please take a seat," Torregrosa said to Isabel as she herself slid into one of the chairs at the conference table. The premier had hardly registered the words before an aide appeared, just about out of nowhere, to pull up another seat for her. "Thanks," she directed to the aide as she took the seat, turning to Torregrosa, who offered her a drink--an offer she declined with a polite shake of the head and a terse, "No thanks, I'm alright." And with that, she watched in a brief silence as the Mexican Secretary For South America rifled through her notes. It was but a couple of seconds before the discussion of the topic at hand truly began. "From my understanding," Torregrosa began. "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Pará is having a population boom as well as a large amount of growth. Unfortunately, I am not extremely versed on the specific issues currently facing your nation. Because of this, I would like to know: what is the current situation in Pará?"[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][I]That seems a rather apt description of the situation at its most basic.[/I] Nevertheless, that alone did not make it the crisis that it had been these past few months. "Well, [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Pará has always been a densely populated area despite the ever-conspicuous presence of the Amazon overtaking much of our land--largely because it was a haven for refugees back in the Holy American Civil War. One of few areas we...the rebels managed to secure and keep safe. Needless to say, such a densely forested region, with little land for cities to be built free of the suffocating reach of the Amazon, was never made for such high concentrations of population, but it never reached the point it did after [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Pará achieved its independence. Our infrastructure has made great strides in that time, but it still simply cannot keep up with the huge boom in population we have seen these past several months. It's hit us hard--unemployment has become a reality for too many of our people, poverty is becoming disturbingly common, and our economy can't keep up. We're taking many steps to try to mitigate the effects on economy and employment, but the fact is we won't be able to control the root of the problem unless we have room for more infrastructure to support our population."[/font][/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voodoo Nova Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 (edited) Torregrosa listened to her counterpart; she took some notes. "Mexico will be willing to turn over the territory to Pa[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]rá[/font][/color], in order to aide your nation in its continuous growth. I would also like to offer Mexican assistance to aide in humanitarian efforts and construction efforts. We have several construction companies and non-profit health organizations working in Venezuela. We can inform them of volunteer opportunities to help alleviate the stresses of moving populations to decent places to live." Torregrosa paused for a second as the meeting was interrupted by a staff member. "Miss. Secretary, do you and your guest have a moment?" "You have five seconds Guerrero." Guerrero nodded and began to speak directly to the women. "The results of the referendum were verified today. 54% of the voters voted in favor of incorporating in to Par[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]á."[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]"Thank you Guerrero."[/font][/color] replied Rita. [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Torregrosa refocused her attention on Isabel as Guerrero departed the room and closed the door.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]"That is wondrous news[/font][/color] Miss. Vieria." Edited October 19, 2012 by Voodoo Nova Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lestari Posted November 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 "Mexico will be willing to turn the territory over to Pa[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]rá[/font][/color], in order to aide your nation in its continuous growth," Torregrosa answered; her pen never left her notes even as she spoke, but Isabel for her part allowed the slightest of upturnings at the corners of her lips, the vaguest expression of gladness. "I would also like to offer Mexican assistance to aide in humanitarian efforts and construction efforts. We have several construction companies and non-profit health organizations working in Venezuela. We can inform them of volunteer opportunities to help alleviate the stresses of moving populations to decent places to live." Isabel opened her mouth to speak, but no breath had escaped her before a Mexican staff member entered the room abruptly. "Miss Secretary, do you and your guest have a moment?" he inquired. "You have five seconds, Guerrero." Isabel's eyes to the staffer alit with renewed interest--after all, it seemed this news would involve both the secretary and herself. [I]I'm pretty sure I have a good inkling of what it is,[/I] she decided silently--the poll which, she understood, Mexico had been holding in territories, amongst which lay the very provinces in question, in order to determine their fate and the fate of their peoples. She forced herself to practice patience--patience, that most difficult of virtues, one which still escaped her all too often--forced herself to silently await the answer Guerrero would give. And it seemed like hours before he did at last. "The results of the referendum were verified today." Isabel's mouth flattened and her lips drew taut in anticipation of the answer to follow. "Fifty four per cent of voters voted in favour of incorporating into Par[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]á."[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The premier relaxed back in her seat as Guerrero retreated back from the room, and the door clicked shut. "That is wondrous news, Miss Vieira," the Mexican secretary said, turning back to Isabel, who at last allowed a real smile--however small and fleeting--to make itself at home unto her thin, cold lips as she nodded. "Most wondrous. I cannot overstate my gratitude to Mexico for making this possible and for representing the will of the population of the old provinces, Secretary Torregrosa...nor the good this will do for my country. And I'd be more than honoured to accept the offer of Mexican assistance. [/font][/color]It is a welcome gesture of possible friendship in the..." Isabel hesitated, feeling she was straying into pessimistic territory, before proceeding. "...uncertain circumstances of the South American continent today." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lestari Posted November 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 OOC: Just a bit of a bump. Not sure if the meeting is to continue or if that's that and it's official Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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