NationStates Jolt Archive

Cuzco, Peru
Miguel gathered his courage and approached the group of unemployed men asleep on the street. Being one of the poorer in Peru, there were literally hundreds of people living beneath the poverty line, thus bargaining power lay with the employers.

"Good morning my friends. Would all of you like jobs delivering packages across the city? Ten American dollars now, another twenty when you complete the job. Just deliver a package into each house along the street numbers listed."

A total of $US30 was being offered to each of them - a lot more money than most of them had ever touched.

Inside each package was the pamplet The Truth behind the Neo-Sunnists, secretly penned by none other than the Incans themselves.

Tag

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gat! Uh, wait, tag!

Lima, Peru

President Delgado looked out over the capital city, surveying his domain. He had come to power with such high hopes, but reality had shattered them like so much cheap glass. He had underestimated his importance to the Marimaian expatriates; the Pacific Lotus had been operating in Peru with very few incidents, and shady funds had been financing several of Delgado's public works projects, but he would always be a secondary priority for them. They never really told him what they were up to, and now his Defence Minister Apsara Supachai had handed in her resignation for 'personal reasons'.

Delgado had heard that the Lotus was going to be relocating to Japan; the relocation and the timing of it were causing friction between Partido NeoSuunista and their Lotus allies. As usual, Emperor Shinseiki of Japan came first in their priorities; never mind that Peru was threatened by anarchists to the north and an uprising in Bolivia, Shinseiki was having a dispute with Dra-pol so everything else was sidelined.

Peru's short-lived economic boom was now turning into a nose-dive. They had failed to secure meaningful foreign investment, and the revolutions in two neighbouring countries had only contributed to the problem. Now there were rumours of dissent amongst the Quechua majority; the government had been concentrating on the revived Sendero Luminoso, so any movement within the native Andean community had been overlooked.

Delgado looked down as he heard cars approaching the Presidential Palace; he had called the cabinet for an emergency meeting to discuss the mounting problems faced by the regime.

Santiago, Chile

The wide boulevard, Calle 21 de Mayo, which ran through the centre of the city was closed to traffic to celebrate the birthday of El Presidente, Generalissimo Alfonso Escobar. The great man, all 5 feet 7 inches of him, dressed in a grey military uniform with too much gold braid, glided along in a convertible Cadillac limousine of 1960s vintage, waving to a vast crowd who practically to a person were waving small Chilean flags. Infront and behind him, vast formations of troops marched with immaculate parade drill.

The soldiers, in the distinctive German Imperial type dress uniforms complete with the pickelhaube of the type worn by the Kaiser's Imperial Guard, sported Chilean licensed copies of the Elias 'Muhannad' rifle. The armed forces, now numbering more than 70,000 was growing ever stronger, and many of those on parade knew that it was a matter of time before they were called on to fight, most probably against Peru or Bolivia, who both had territorial grievances against the Republica de Chile.

The nation, still living under the 1980 constitution had come a long way since the days of 'Padre Augusto' and Pinochet's numerous sucessors had continued his ideology of authoritarian conservatsim with economic liberalisation. A quarter of a century later, the nation's economy was still very much 'the Tiger of the Andes', with high growth, low unemployment and controlled inflation. The 1990s had seen the emergence of a burgening middle class, a demographic who owed their entire livlihood to the regime and were on the whole fiercely loyal. The working class had become more prosperous and even if they were not wealthy, neither were they enduring sufficient hardship to encourage revolutionary sentiment. Overall, the privitisation of healthcare and social security had made a huge impact on government finances, with much of state expenditure now able to be spent on more important issues such as security and defence.

The principle area of potential problems lay, oddly enough with the wealthy industrialists. The very success that the government had sought in terms of prosperity now possibly curtailed its power. This was because, quite simply, enormous amounts of wealth had found itself in the hands of a small class of people, who known as the 'notables' had huge political influence. Although it was very much in their interest to keep the regime in power, given that it had facilitated their huge fortunes, it also meant that they could effectively control the legislative process, after all with control over the media, trade, the workforce and to an extent the church, without their support the government would be stranded. President Escobar knew this all too well, and knowing that the notables were not exactly popular in the eyes of the masses, was willing for a direct confrontation with them, if indeed it came to that.

Parliament is far from unconcerned about the various stirrings in South America. With Neo-Sunnist Peru on the decline, revolutions in Bolivia and now news of such in Peru itself, and Authoritarian Chile militarizing, Hindustani interests in the region, specifically the Anarchan governments in former Colombia, Venezuela, and Suriname look somewhat vulnerable. Chile esepecially is viewed with suspicion, mostly because of its quite powerful and battle-ready military.

In order to protect the Anarchans, as well as other more or less politically acceptable South American nations, there is even word that the battlegroup deployed to the Baltic might be recalled and dispatched to the coast of Colombia. It is quite probable that at least one of the HDF's new Type 22 and relatively new ex-RN Type 12Ms will be sent over to establish at least a small Hindustani military commitment.

The Chinese military observes the situation with interest and wishes to put this forward to the National Congress for decisioning.

OOC: So who's RP'ing which South American countries and what happened to Grande Peru (Marimaia)?

Over the next few days, the situation would stabilise as the remnants of the army loyal to the executed General announced their support of the President. Francisco Inca had ordered an investigation into the "Warisita Massacre" and thus put six ministers of the former regime to the firing squad. He had appointed his own ministers to replace them, each one of them an Incan Disciple.

Reports from the Peru were encouraging - no one had suspected Incan involvement in the distribution of vast amounts of anti-NeoSunnist propaganda across the country. His mole inside the NeoSunnist government, their minister of Foreign Affairs had notified him of the evacuation of the NeoSunnist regime from Peru and the Defence minister's resignation. With the internal turmoil of the NeoSunnists, perhaps now would be the time for a more direct approach.

The Chilean military mobilisation was becoming increasingly worrisome. It was evident that the Bolivian military, now the People's Revolutionary Army, would be even less of a match for the Chilean military than during the War of the Pacific a century ago. Factoring the absorption of the Peruvian military into the PRA, the odds were still against it. However with the nationalisation of the oil industry, Bolivia had a trump card that Chile did not.

Shortly after that, the new ambassadors to the world were sworn in during a brief ceremony and press releases. Finding allies with military backing had a new urgency with the Chilean sabre rattling. Ambassadors were sent to Neo-Anarchos, China, Quintonnia, Russia, and the Progressive Bloc.

The ambassador to China was Ron Dash, the former head of the Bolivian Reserve Bank and before that, accounting teacher. He spent a decade in Singapore, learning Chinese there and marrying a Singaporean wife. A social conservative with a reputation for being a loose cannon, Dash can handle anything the Chinese could throw at him.

Carlos Spencer is the new ambassador to Quintonnia. Formerly a rugby player for the Bolivian rugby team, Spencer later ran a programme aimed at constructing homes for the homeless and stood for the mayoralty of La Paz. Although a Catholic, Spencer belives he can communicate readily with the Quintonnian theocracy.

Bolivian communcations with Neo-Anarchos will be represented by Leo Gardel, formerly an economist for the Reserve Bank. He is currently also writting a book on the benefits of leftist economic policies. Leo Gardel has travelled to Neo-Anarchos many times in the last decade.

The ambassador in the Progressive Bloc would communicate with Beth Gellert and the Lyong nations primarily and hence has asked to be based in Spyr. Serena Picchu was the head of an aid organisation in rural Bolivia and has excellent organisation skills and the sharp mind neccesary for the job.

Bolivia was represented in Russia by Lex Adamski. One of the few Russian migrants in Boliva, he was the head engineer of a firm responsible for much of the telephone network. He possesses excellent communcation skills and can talk fluently in Russian.

To start off, each ambassador asked his or her counterpart about their nation's general stance towards Bolivia's new socialist policies.

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Cuzco, Peru
The rare protest that would break out occasionally now happened regularly, with large crowds gathering in the town square to demand the government instantly address the problem of unemployment and a decline in living standards. The latest issue of the mysterious pamplet had described in detail how the NeoSunnist leadership had lived in luxury in the former Marimia while the people suffered. In truth, many of the protesters were sponsored, but as time passed the number of genuine protesters grew and grew.

Santiago, Chile

A special cabinet meeting had just concluded, a major decision taken. President Alfonso Escobar and his loyal Ministers had been unanimous in their votes on this particular subject, and after the long and eloquent presentation from Ignacio Perez, Chairman of the Dirección Nacional de Inteligencia (DINA), a man known by most Chileans as 'El Carnicero', there was no doubt that whilst their plan was bold, it was also prudent.

____________________


In the early hours of the following morning, before dawn broke, sorties of Chilean combat aircraft flew eastwards towards the Bolivian frontier. Fourteen advanced EA-160 combat aircraft, recently bought from United Elias, supported by twenty-eight Mirage 50 Pantera fighters, a Phalcon AEW aircraft and a handful of F-5Es took part in the opening salvos of Operation 'Punitive Force'.

Whilst the EA-160s used laser guided munitions to attack the Ministry of National Defence in La Paz, as well as the Presidential Palace and various Army Command Headquarters in the vicinity of the Capital, the Mirages used runway denial weapons to disable military airfields across the country. With no combat jets, nor modern air defences, the Bolivians would have little means of resistance and many of the Mirages were able to make several attack waves in order to destroy the bulk Bolivia's turboprop Air Force on the ground. Meanwhile, the F-5s using obsolescent AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missiles, attacked Bolvia's primitive radar infrastructure so that future strikes could be launched with even less warning.

As the Fuerza Aerea de Chile pre-emptively attacked Bolivia, crippling its ability to defend itself, the Chilean Army was already preparing to cross the border. The entire First Corps, based at Iquique, comprising the First Division and the Sixth Division had been hurredly moved east in the last twenty-four hours and would quickly be in a position to launch an assault across the frontier. Spearhead elements including the Sixth Division's Commando battalion had already entered Bolivia by the time the air attacks had been initiated. The special forces then commenced sabotage operations behind enemy lines, disrupting communications and logisitical efforts to prevent the Bolivian Army from responding quickly to the invasion force, which in itself was nearly twice the size of the Bolivian military in personnel terms and better equipped. By dawn, spearhead elements of the First Corps, including the Sixth Division's Mountain Regiment and a Motorised Infantry Regiment from the First Division, were engaging Bolvian border forces.

At government ministries in Santiago, who would for some hours consistently deny the existance of any military operation, preparations were being made for the callup of some 60,000 trained reservists, and the Third and Fourth divisions were being deployed Northwards. Primarily to replace the First Corps that was enterign Bolivia in its role of protecting from Peruvian aggression, the two units would be stationed at sufficient distance from the Northern border so as not to threated Peru, who in their current state of affairs, would be expected to remain neutral.

"I don't believe it....we were swept in on the back of a popular movement, and now they're protesting against us? Why?"

Kangtian Wei smirked at Delgado's questioning. "Simple really. You made grand promises of reform and prosperity, then didn't follow through."

"How am I supposed to follow through when we have unstable and hostile neighbours? Never mind the fact that you promised to assist us; we kept you safe after Marimaia collapsed, but now it's as if I don't exist for you."

"How long has it taken you to realise that you aren't our first priority? We have been recovering from our initial loss, but now we have found ourselves once more. NeoSuunism is a relic of the past, an uncomfortable reminder of what we lost in Marimaia's collapse. The way forward lies in democracy."

"You don't really believe that, do you?!"

"His Excellency believes it, and that is good enough for us. As of two weeks ago, we have become citizens of the Empire of Japan. We are emigrating; His Excellency needs us there, and he is a lot more important to us than you ever will be."

Delgado looked around his office at the Marimaian expatriates; along with Chiisu Suun, they had arrived in Peru and subverted both the criminal and political elites for their own purposes. Now that Chiisu was safely installed as Emperor Shinseiki of Japan, they were abandoning him to pick up the pieces.

"You knew that there was unrest brewing, didn't you? The timing is too close to be coincidence. You're just cutting and running like you did to the Marimaians, aren't you? Trouble starts brewing, so you run on to the next country! Southeast Asia is still recovering, despite the fact that Shinseiki is returning the money that was funneled away from Thailand! You pick your targets, bleed them dry and flee before anyone can bring you to justice!"

"You joined us all too readily when we offered you the chance to become President of Peru. It's time you accepted that just as Ramirez did before you, you sold out Peru to us in order to gain political power! When the people come looking for justice, as they appear to be planning, your head will be called for more loudly than most. Think on it."

Whilst the Chilean attack was a pre-emptive strike, the attack itself was not entirely unexpected. Border forces had been on a slightly raised level of alert for the past week, but were taken back by the timing of the attack. President Francisco Inca had survived the bombing of the Presidential Palace literally by a few seconds after there was warning from a bombed out army base in the outskirts of the city. Fortunately, television, radio, and the internet networks were still largely intact. It was time to tell the world, regroup, and organise resistance.

A brief meeting with his advisors confirmed his worst fears : Even in the best scenario, Bolivia would take enormous losses and the PRA in it's current state would be no match for the Chilean military. In a statement that was to be played again and again throughout the day, the President called an emergency press conference.

"Good evening. A few hours ago our nation, our freedom, and our way of life came under attack. Hundreds of our brave soldiers, our countrymen, had their lives ended by a treacherous and cowardly attack on Bolivian soil. The perpetrator of these attacks was the despotic and reactionist government in Santiago. The Government of Chile.

To defend our nation in these tough times, we will your help. The People's Revolutionary Army needs patriots, brave men and women who will risk their lives to defend our freedoms and our way of life."

At the same time, telegrams asking for assistance were sent to the Progressives, the Chinese, and the Quintonnians.

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In the biggest single financial transaction ever conducted by the Incans, the Incan disciples have transferred $200m from an investment account to one controlled by President Francisco Inca to fund the war in a secret transaction.

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By that morning, thousands of people in La Paz alone were ringing the PRA about enlisting information.

The border units under attack from the Chileans fight tenaciously but are forced to retreat, buying valuable time in the process for the preparation of defences i.e preparing traps and ambushes.

The air force is completely destroyed, and the few turboprops that remain are hidden and saved for CAS purposes.

By evening, nearly 20,000 Chilean troops had crossed into Bolivia. Speed was of the essence and using Manouvre Warfare type tactics, the two divisions each taking different routes, headed towards a common objective, La Paz. Due to the terrain, it was not the mechanised or armoured forces who were in their element, but the infantry and mountain troops, able to cover ground quickly and more easily avoid direct confrontation with pockets of Bolivian soldiers, who could then be swept up by the heavier and slower units.

The air campaign had also moved into a new phase, with A-37 and A-36 armed trainers being used for tactical support, often circling with payloads of Napalm and cluster munitions that could be called in by forward air controllers at a moment's notice. Two 707s configured for electronic warfare also began flying sorties, both listening and jamming Bolivian government communications and also Bolivian media. Meanwhile, the Mirages continued to strike targets in the vicinity of the capital, attacking not only military facilites but also power stations, railway lines and major road bridges. The modern EA-160 jets however were held back, flying combat air patrols over Northern Chile, just in case any other nation attempted to interfere.

As the first official statement on this situation, President Escobar addressed the nation in the evening, being broadcasted on all television and radio stations.

"Fellow citizens, following frequent and blatant violations of Chile’s sovereignty, the time has come for justice to be enacted on the cowardly, treacherous and deceitful government of Bolivia, who seek to spread their unashamed Marxism to our glorious nation of liberty. I warn every person not to be fooled by these spurious claims of fallacious Bolivian officials that they are the victims, for they are the aggressors and as such we have a duty to repulse them and to smite them for their heinous crimes.

“The heroes of our armed forces, the warriors that carry the word and values of our state, must once again prove their valour, their determination and demonstrate extraordinary discipline in this action. Whilst we pray for the safe return of every Chilean serviceman, we must also accept that sacrifice may be necessary, and we will honour and remember those who fall on behalf of their family, and on behalf of us, the people of our great land. I am certain of victory, and it is only a matter of time before the honour, skill and strength of our military triumphs over the enemy who so foolishly dare to challenge the integrity of this Republic, who so wickedly seek to interfere in the affairs of our state. We will not seek to dominate our adversary or to revel in what will soon be a great victory of civilisation, but we will punish fairly the criminals that rule with malevolence, and we will liberate the oppressed Bolivian people from their hardship.

“This is a time when we must unite under our flag, and stand forth as a bastion of freedom and prosperity in this region. I ask all nations of the world to recognise this fact, and whilst we do not seek the approval of the international community to defend ourselves, we expect that all governments will support our most noble and valiant efforts.

Fellow citizens, may God bless you, our nation and our righteous cause.”

By evening, word of the Chilean invasion had reached all of Bolivia and there was already a trickle of refugees, mainly women and children, heading north across the border to Peru. If the situation in Peru was already tense, the arrival of large numbers of Quechans would destabilise it even further.

While a veteran detachment of the PRA were engaging the Chileans in the mountains, targetting the Andean passes, they were not expected to stop the advance, opting instead to slow them down with guerilla tactics. The rapidly swelling ranks of the PRA now numbering almost 60,000 would concentrate on theatres in which it could tilt the odds against the Chileans. And they would put the recent financial transfusion (which was almost two years spending) into good use, with quantities of moderately advanced arms (by Latin American standards) being smuggled in from the border with Brazil.

As his last act before leaving the besieged La Paz for Santa Cruz, President Francisco Inca sent an ultimatum to his Chilean counterpart, condemning Escobar's policies as "hypocritical and despotic" and calling on the people of Chile to fight for democracy and their freedoms.

Delgado shook his head as the briefing played out. "Unacceptable!"

The gathered generals were surprised at their leader's outburst. "Presidente, we cannot jut stand aside! If Chile conquers Bolivia, then we could be next!"

"They are merely stamping out socialism, we should be joining them. All things considered, we cannot afford to actively wade into this conflict, but we can stay out of it. I want those refugees sent somewhere else. Our economy is doing badly enough as it is, we cannot afford an invasion of the dispossessed. Yuraq..."

The Peruvian Foreign Minister looked up. "Yes, Presidente?"

"Inform the Chileans that they have our backing in this venture. We wish them success, as our region needs to be purged of socialist insurgency. Generals, seal our borders; do not let any more refugees cross into Peru. We are having enough trouble with the Quechua here, we don't need any more flooding in.....present company excepted, of course."

Yuraq nodded. "Of course."

Parliament, lacking (as usual) serious intelligence assets in South America (or anywhere, for that matter), is not ready for Chilean invasion of Bolivia but not entirely surprised. With two of Hindustan's newer naval assets headed to join a small contingent of light infantry, advisors, and pilots (flying former-Colombian, now probably Neo-Anarchan HAL-built MiG-21s), Mumbai is in position to at least make its feelings known, if not necessarily soon.

But Parliament, supported by the required majority of Regional Councils, issues a statement calling for the immediate cessation of fighting in Bolivia, and also advocating the deployment of an international mediation and negotiation team to the region as soon as possible (ideally incorperating a wide spectrum of nations).

The HDF makes it known that two battalions of light infantry are available for any future peacekeeping mission, if one is created.

(OOC: Incans, I am interested to know how you managed to triple the size of the Bolivian military from 20,000 to 60,000 after two days of fighting??)

From Santiago, reassuring diplomatic messages were sent to the Peruvian Premier, fully guaranteeing Chile's respect for the territory and soverignty of their neghbour. Through back channels however, it is also stressed that President Delgado should make every effort to maintain power for as long as possible using any means at his disposal in order to prevent the tide of socialism. In order to assist him, and in an unusual move for a nation fighting a war, an interest free loan of $5 billion US is given to Lima, equivalent to a third of Peru's annual state budget.

Within Bolivia, as well as the advance towards La Paz, efforts were underway to prepare a government that could assume control once the capital had been captured. Calling on various political groups, some legitimate, others more violent that had all been cultivated by Santiago for some time as a matter of course, efforts were made to form a united party to be known as the 'Bolivian Progress Coalition.' Made up of a wide spectrum of right of centre factions, ranging from nationalists through hardcore free-traders to reactionary traditionalists, and including many Catholic faith groups, it would aim to usurp the MAS and trample any attempts to bring about a socialist order.

Finding a leader fro this group was not obvious, but eventually it was decided that General Albeniz should be freed from death row. Firstly, in the middle of the night a local electrical relay was knocked out, blacking out the area of the prison, then an F-5E was called in to drop a pair of 2000lb bombs just under half a mile from the prison compound. The effect of the airstrike was firstly to mask the parachute insertion of an elite team made up of National Intelligence and Army operatives, but also 2000lb of high explosives worked with the effect of a massive flashbang on anything within the area. As the prison guards were still stunned, the special forces assaulted. After taking three casualties and releasing Albeniz and several other political prisoners that could be useful the, team departed to the South on foot, and were soon extracted by a flight of UH-1H helos.

...

(There were quite a large number of militia loosely aligned with the PRA fighting General Albeniz recently to put the MAS in power, so it would have been closer to 48,000 --> 60,000)

President Francisco Inca tells the Hindustanis that a ceasefire is acceptable on the condition that Chilean forces withdraw from Bolivia, and that he is receptive to the idea of mediation. There was bad news on the armaments front - some Russian arms had been located in the Far East, but getting them here would take a month. Worse, General Albeniz had apparently blown his way out of death row, and the government lacked the resources to find him.

---------------------------------------------

That night, a satchet of poison was emptied into President Delgado's dinner by one of the kitchen staff loyal to the Incans.

The situation looks to be of interest to the Chinese military. Secret discussions are underway of possibilities of deploying a commando team to aid the Bolivians.

The situation looks to be of interest to the Chinese military. Secret discussions are underway of possibilities of deploying a commando team to aid the Bolivians.

The Bolivians are overjoyed at the prospect of a large power like China looking into South America but are at the same time aware not to offend the Progressives, eventually deciding to begin top secret discussions. (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=9143431#post9143431)

OOC:Liu, and Jimmy, you guys can take care of this.

Delgado took his seat at the head of the dinner table and tried to put on a brave face as his wife Maria asked about his day.

"Not...too bad. I've had better though. Alfonso, how was school?"

Delgado's eight year old son shrugged. "It was okay. We had to do maths, but we got to play football afterwards. Daddy, when will Uncle Kangtian be coming over next?"

"Uncle Kangtian has had to move away, Alfonso. His best friend needs his help." So I've been left hanging out to dry. The Delgados finished their meal relatively quickly; Alfonso headed to his room to do homework, while Delgado and Maria sat in the lounge.

"What aren't you telling me, Juan?"

"Kangtian and his lot have abandoned me, Maria. They say that Suun needs them in Japan, but I think they've just cut and run because we're having some domestic trouble. I..."

"Juan?"

Maria looked in horror as her husband collapsed; she stayed with him while his personal physician was called.

(Hope you don't mind me RPing Maria here, but there's nothing like a sex scandal to destroy a man's reputation.)

Things were happening quickly. An hour after the physician could not find what was wrong with him, sending him to the hospital, Maria was asked by a police official to accompany them to the local police station to "sort out a few details". She went willingly, not suspecting that she was about to fall into a trap. Maria had her fingerprints, DNA, and photo taken. She was asked to sit down in a room, a concrete room with a single chair placed in the middle. Uncomfortable with the situation but in no mood to put up a fight, she obeyed. The doors were locked and the lights suddenly switched off.

"What is this? Why am I being interrogated? I'm the victim here. I want my lawyer" she said in a weak voice.

The walls shuddered as a heavily distorted voice came out of speakers mounted on the roof.
"We will tell you something, and we want you to tell us something in exchange."

A projector suddenly switched, projecting the image of a young and attractive women in her mid twenties working at a desk.

"Do you know this woman?" the voice said, in a much warmer tone that before.

"Yes, she's Delgado's personal assistant. I didn't know her very well."
"Look closely at her Maria."

The projector switched images. It showed now a second image, one of the same woman in a state of complete undress on a bed. But part of the second image was trundacated.

"Wha-? Why are you showing me this?"
"Maria. Are you absolutely sure you want to see the trundacated section of this image?"
"Does it involve Juan? Please tell me it doesn't" Maria's mind was already jumping to the conclusion, her heart racing at the thought of her dead husband with another woman. The projector switched again.

"Who is the man in the photo?"
Tears began running down her face and her fists clenched as she realised her husband had been taking her for a fool.
"Is this the reason you killed him?"
"I did not kill him! I only just found out"

The interrogation would continue for as long as it took.

Leo Gardel receives a fiery welcome in Bogota, hailed as a friend of the revolution by the 200-some diplomatic councilio workers who decided to show up with banners and presents. Evidently, the city was not as he had left it last. 7 million bikers rolled the wide, open streets with impunity, and here and there could be seen a broken assault rifle or burned out drum; grim but empowering reminders of the revolution - Flowers, Circled A's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchist_symbolism) and all manner of colourful shapes and paintings now adorn the tall walls of former government buildings; and the reknowned skyscrapers of Bogota fly the red and black banners of Neo-Anarchos.

Gardel was quickly made comfortable in a building formerly used as a bank, and filled in on the current situation. The nation-states of Columbia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela are no more, they have become a federation of equals under the aegis of freedom and libertarian socialism. Suriname is the most recent nation to "ascend", having cast aside their government after extensive repression and recent election fraud. While the MAS embraces an authoritarian, and therefore unduly opressive, form of socialism according to the Anarchan councilios; Bolivia is considered a dear friend of the Anarchan people - The workers in the burgeoning economic management councils would very much like to discuss collectivist economy with Gardel as soon as a more pressing matter is concluded.

The matter in question is, of course, war. There could be no doubt that the Anarchan people detested the deceitful, power-hungry Chilean government and their false reliance on propaganda about god and country. While plagued by communication problems and incompatible national defense hardware, Neo-Anarchos as a whole has a quite extensive military that could technically be deployed southwards in defense of Bolivia. However, it would seem that Anarchan forces are soon fighting on their own against a powerful Chilean force, which would not be prudent for a not yet stable Anarchan society - The people have gone through a lot to be where they are, and if more hardship can be avoided, it must. As it were, Neo-Anarchos is prepared to offer spec-force consultants to train local Bolivian forces in harassment and demolitions; and of course provide aid and supplies to the civilian population.

This being said, the main fervour of the political councilios are, of course, diplomatic. A conference was called few hours after Gardel's arrival(with or without him present as he prefers), with Foreign Councilio spokesmen Chego Santino stating:

"Neo-Anarchos will not stand for Chilean agression, and neither should the world! There are many simple ways to make an enemy, and all of them rely on deceit and lies. I will list them now, and you may likely recognize them.

Force information that demonize your chosen enemy to your fellow citizens. Let all state-run media reinforce the ruling partys actions.
Use beloved or nationalist symbols. It can also be achieved through the use of flags. Lean all acts of state against the dominant diety. It can be effective to use statements like "We are following Gods will" or "God bless this nation".
Create an atmosphere of fear and instability, and offer the ruling partys actions as the only relief.

The free peoples' of Neo-Anarchos know that there is no excuse for the actions of the Chilean dictatorship, and demands unconditional condemnation of the invasion; as well as any sanctions and pressure that will get Chilean forces out of Bolivia. Thank you."

A Lear Jet, halfway to Japan

"Ninghan, what are you doing?"

Ninghan Shi pointed at his laptop, which was streaming a Peruvian news broadcast. "Kangtian, you'd better see this."

The newscaster looked extremely traumatised. "Fellow citizens, I have the burden of bringing you this news...our beloved president, Juan Delgado, died early last evening at his home. Finance Minister Isandro Flores will be caretaker President until elections can be held; President Flores's first act was to declare a two-day period of mourning for El Presidente Delgado, may he rest in peace."

Kangtian's jaw dropped. "Hell...well, it's not our problem anymore. We are Imperial Japanese citizens now, Peru can fail however it wants."

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Isandro Flores looked around his new office with bewilderment; he was an economist, not a politician. He wondered if this was some cruel joke being played on him; he now had to announce an election and try to organise a battered Partido NeoSuunista to fight it. Even worse, the Marimaian expatriates had left Peru, meaning that he couldn't call them for guidance or advice. He placed a frantic call to Foreign Minister Yuraq Tamaya, as Yuraq was probably the most politically experienced of the party's inner circle.

Yuraq quickly arrives at Flores's office, holding a framed picture of the President in traditional Bolivian garb. He decided it was time to break the news to his colleague.

"They've found the murderer. His wife found out about his relationship with Diana, his PA. She confessed earlier today."

Yuraq paused. It was him who had organised the interrogation of his wife in order to protect the Incan maid working in the Presidential residence. He walked across to Flores and placed his hand on his shoulder, and continued speaking in a calm voice, addressing his fears about suddenly getting the top job.

"I know you probably feel a bit overwhelmed by this, especially with much of the leadership moving to Japan. But I absolutely must tell you this - The policies promoted by our party are a complete failure. You should know, you do the numbers, and they'll all come to the same conclusion. Peru is in the worst economic downturn ever experienced."

He took a ledger from a suitcase he held. There was something much worse. How had Shinseki amassed such extraordinary wealth? Was it using legitimate means?

"This is the party leadership income account. Your're the economist, perhaps you should see for yourself. If you need anything, you have my number."

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With the matter of the war out of the way, Gardel is free to discuss further co-operation between the Anarchans and the Bolivians, issues such as trade, political freedom, and drugs.

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While reports of a Chilean helicopter fleeing to the border after the prison raid reach Inca, he is quick to put out a press statement via radio accusing right wing groups in Bolivia of co-operating with "imperialist foreigners".

OOC: Just a bit of info....

Shinseiki received a more than generous salary during his time as Premier of Marimaia; the money he is paying back to Thailand is the money that the Marimaian leaders stole when they fled to Peru. In addition, only the six or seven Marimaian expatriates in Peru are moving to Japan; the rest of Partido NeoSuunista is staying put. Apsara Supachai was the only Marimaian who was officially in the Party, the rest were hired as 'consultants' by the government. Yuraq would be able to show that Partido NeoSuunista was in bed with criminal gangs i.e. the Pacific Lotus and the Russian Mafia, but no-one's stolen any state funds this time around.

(edited to take that into account)

Flores poured over the numbers, shaking his head as he checked them. Nothing really seemed to add up. He found instances of large donations to Partido NeoSuunista and Delgado personally by 'Ivanovich' and "Kutomura'; neither were names he really recognised, but perhaps they were in the business community....

What business community, he thought. The only real business success story of Peru had been Chiisu Suun, but he had sold all of his holdings in Peru to the State at a much reduced price after Partido NeoSuunista came to power. As Flores downed his drink, he considered the upcoming election. If this sort of thing got out, there could be cries of corruption. Partido NeoSuunista was probably going to lose the election anyway, but this sort of thing would hound the party leadership for years to come.

Yuraq had done the right thing by bringing him the information; if this got out, then as a leading member of the party, Yuraq would be implicated as well. Flores poured himself another drink as he contemplated his next move.

As a pair of HDF frigates head towards Colombia (to join HNS Quetta, already in the region, and the minesweeper Chennai), Parliament promises, in a move approved by the necessary majority of regional councils, that Hindustan will support Neo-Anarchos' position in South America and policy regarding Bolivia. While this move is rather blatantly a step away from neutrality in the issue, Parliament has been more or less convinced by now that the Western powers, such as Roycelandia, TBF, and Quinntonia, will take only a passing interest, if any interest, in the Bolivian-Chilean conflict, and since the HDF is nowhere near strong enough regionally to threaten the Chilean position, increasing Hindustan's commitment in Neo-Anarchos seems like the best option.

Therefore, Parliament makes an offer to the Anarchan communes, to send a regiment of light infantry as well as a small armored contingent (consisting mainly of Scorpion 90s) to help ensure Neo-Anarchan soveriegnty and security. This force (which could possibly be added to later) would concieveably add to the small (several squadrons' worth) HDF presence already in the area, concentrated mainly in Colombia. Parliament also promises to send at least some of the now-surplus Baluchistan-I missile boats and perhaps even a few of the new ACC Baluchistan-II vessels Anarchan way.

"I'm afraid they already know, if at least from an unreputatable source. Someone has been distributing these propoganda booklets, about the same time this rioting started. But in truth, NeoSunnism has failed Peru."

While not to keen on foreign military assets in their nation, Anarchan security councilios has accepted Hindustani personnel. The nation as a whole is still undecided on how involved to get in the Chilean conflict, however.

Flores scowled before relenting to Yuraq's words.

"We have an election coming up, the party has lost credibility and the people undoubtedly want us out. Delgado was our best chance, but with him dead that just leaves you and I. Yuraq, I am no politican. I'm an economist, I should be doing that job, not trying to run this farce. If you'll accept it, I want to retire. That would put you in charge of Partido NeoSuunista and also the election timetable."

He sighed deeply before continuing. "We thought that this ideology would bring stability after so many failed military regimes, but it turns out that NeoSuunism will be remembered as just another fallen idea. Yuraq, please do what I cannot. Save Peru from her own destruction."

Little is known of a non-stop standby service in the Empire of China Air Force called the Emergency Arsenal Aid (EAA). There's about 20 747s all across China's airbases on 24-hour readiness. All planes are filled up with large quantities of small arms.Whenever a country should seek China's emergency help, the EAA will be there.

Two EAA pilots sat at the table next to their plane in the hangar, playing cards since it was a Sunday.

"Looks like I've got a good grasp of your poker face, Capt."

"I've got the best hand in the game."

"Really? We shall see about that."

"Lt. Kwok, if you're so smart about reading 'poker faces' let's see what's in Gen. Liu's mind. I think we're going to aid some small nation anytime soon."

"If gambling's legal, I bet $10 he's going to tell us to fly to Singapore."

"Unlikely, Kwok. My guess is different..."

"Thank you for trusting in me. If you want it, there's a senior position in the Reserve Bank that's available. It would be right up your alley."

He shook his hand.

-------------------------------------------

The first thing Yuraq did was hold a press conference. He promised greater indigenous governance, revealing his Incan ancestry, and accepted the failure of the previous Neo-Sunnist ways. While not too keen to anger the Chileans by suggesting socialism, Yuraq put out very vague points on a more leftist economic system.

(OOC: What's the military of NeoSunnist Peru like?)

(OOC: What's the military of NeoSunnist Peru like?)

OOC: The Peruvian Army under NeoSuunism numbers about 150,000 in total; that's including logistics, support staff and the like. There was a move to modernise them with Roycelandian and French arms, but odds are that Peru wasn't able to afford everything on the list they drew up. The special forces received training from expatriates of the former Marimaian Armed Forces (said expats have now moved to Japan, of course).

Best way to look at it is this: Small but exceptionally trained special forces, the rest of the armed forces are fairly well-trained in comparison. A few brigades/squadrons will have modern-day French and Roycelandian equipment, while the rest will have to make do wit RL Peruvian equipment. The Peruvian Navy received a hefty upgrade before NeoSuunism took hold, so it contains the following courtesy of Roycelandia:

1 Lusaka-class Destroyer, 2 Sea-Wolf Submarines, 6 ANZAC-class Frigates, 20 Air/Sea Rescue Boats + RL Peruvian naval numbers.

The navy is probably the most advanced branch of the armed forces as a result. If I remember any other equipment that might be important to your plans, I'll TG you with the details.

Have fun with Peru; I had a few ideas for her but my love for all things Japanese diverted my attention. Good luck in reviving the Empire!

China today slammed Chile's aggresive invasion of Bolivia. The National Assembly today passed a resolution to increase tariffs on Chilean goods, and had demanded Chile to resolve the conflict peacefully.

The Chinese Parliament had passed the resolution, and has also gave out in by a parliament spokesperson.

"From here on, I don't think China will hesitate to provide military assistance. China will protect her allies. We ask the peoples of Chile to help solve this aggresion. We hope the brave Bolivians to stand firm against this act of treachery."

The Peruvian military began mobilising, citing "border issues" as the reason.

For the first time in it's history, the EAA saw action tonight as all 20 planes have taken off from their various AFBs. No public announcement was made over their flight and neither was it kept secret. There is not question over their destination.

(OOC: Should they land in Peru or Bolivia?)

An airstrip in Peru is made available for the "Chinese trade talks delegation"

Being hastily put together, the range of arms were nothing new, they were mostly rifles, submachinegun, crew served weaponry, all suited for Western ammunition, unlike their Chinese originals.

Unprecedented proliferation of one notorious Chinese system has made it's debut. Laser guided 81mm mortar rounds will give the Chileans much grief. Several cargo ships under ECN ownership has set sail for Peru loaded with more weapons. Type 96 MBTs, HQ-9 SAMs and FC-1 interceptor fighters have been put on lend lease agreement to Bolivian, meaning that some of these systems will enjoy combat once again.

(Now we wait for UE)

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=9223939#post9223939
Asia-Pacific Rim Alliance

(Bump - Should I just wrap up the whole war with a summary post? Now that Tias is gone an UE seems to be busy.)

((You used my name! *Fawns* I'll be gone by friday, but I may be able to post before.. Also, I'm more willing to postpone this till August, everyone willing.))

(I'd actually prefer to wrap this up quickly actually, I could simply skip right to the prepared ending arranged with UE)

(What was the prepared arrangement? I have no recollection of it. Better TG me to clarify before I post here. Anyway sorry for the delay in replying.)

(I think I might make Inca's go with the Cold War scenario. Less hassle. New post in two days.)