Capítulo 1802: Chapter 795: Latin Arica’s Final Affection?
xico City, the end of November 1996.
The air in xico City in late autumn was crisp, and a thin layer of snow had already settled on the top of the distant Popocatepetl Volcano.
It seed to offer a unique sense of flavor.
“Boss, the frawork agreent of the International Special Court has already received preliminary agreent from France and Germany.”
Casare walked up behind him, very excited, nearly bumping into the corner of the table, “Big Bear’s stance is ambiguous, but they expressed that they don’t oppose in principle, while the United States said they need more ti to study.”
“Study?”
Victor turned around, took the telegram, and glanced over it, “They’re probably waiting to see what kind of offer the British will make.”
“British diplomats in Brussels have t with U.S. representatives at least seven tis this week.”
Casare said, “But according to our insider reports in Washington, the Aricans are so wrapped up in their own issues right now, with severe infighting among those ‘committees’ in the Great Lakes Region, squabbling even over small amounts of aid supplies that they’re unable to spare any concern for the British.”
Victor walked over to the table and chairs by the terrace and gestured for Casare to sit as well.
The Attendant brought coffee, and he waved the Attendant away.
“Do you think the British have just surrendered?” Victor asked.
Casare hesitated for a mont, “On the surface, yes. The Queen has personally announced the acceptance of an international investigation, which is unprecedented in British history. Portillo was berated in Parliant, and over thirty mbers of the Conservative Party have publicly called for his resignation.”
Victor picked up his coffee, “When have you ever seen the British truly admit defeat? They lost the Falkland Islands war and imdiately clung to the U.S. for support. When they lost colonial negotiations, they laid mines with ‘democracy.’ Now that they’ve lost in North Arica, what will they do?”
Casare frowned, “What else can they do? Militarily, if we wanted, we could swallow the British garrison in North Arica whole! In terms of public opinion, the Diana and Stone Bridge Town incidents have already shattered their moral facade.”
“So they’ll change the battlefield.”
Victor said, “The British have always excelled at backstabbing, not direct confrontation. How did they handle Napoleon back then? How did they handle Tsarist Russia? How did they handle us?”
He stood up, walked to the edge of the terrace, and pointed south.
“xico has never been a monolith. We’ve taken the juiciest pieces from the United States, but digestion takes ti. Those Anglo farm owners in Texas and California, industrial capitalists in Illinois, they’re submissive today because our guns are pointed at them, but what about tomorrow?”
“Are you suggesting… the British would incite internal dissent against us?”
“Not just internally.”
“Externally too, throughout Latin Arica, how many people are envious of our rise? How many remnants of previous regis are still hiding abroad? How many ‘democrats’ are holding Arican foundation money, waiting for us to make a mistake?”
Casare’s expression grew serious, “Should I have the Ministry of Internal Affairs strengthen surveillance?”
“Surveillance only treats symptoms, not the root cause.”
Victor shook his head, “What we need to do is cut off their paths. Investigate which people British diplomats, cultural attachés, and ‘non-governntal organizations’ have been frequently eting over recent months in various Latin Arican countries. Especially those countries with which we have territorial disputes or resource disputes.”
“Guatemala.”
Casare imdiately said, “Last month, their President Alfonso Portillo ntioned ‘respect for historical treaties’ twice in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. Any discerning eye could see he was hinting at our two countries’ boundary issue in the Chiapas Region.”
Victor’s eyes turned cold, “Alfonso Portillo… that ‘Workers’ Party revolutionary leader’ we supported.”
“That’s him.”
Casare’s tone was tinged with sarcasm, “Four years ago, he was a wanted union leader hiding in a safe house we provided, writing revolutionary guidelines. Now that we helped him overthrow the military governnt and he beca president, he turns around and forgets who gave him guns and money.”
“It’s not forgetting,” Victor said, “It’s feeling emboldened. What does the latest report from the exploration team in Chiapas say?”
“Confird, the underground of the Usumacinta River Basin has at least a three-billion-barrel-level oil field, and the oil is light, with low extraction costs. Geologists say the area straddles the borders of the two countries, but the main oil-bearing structures are on the side we control.”
“But according to the 1882 boundary treaty, the centerline of the river is the border.”
Victor sneered, “The British helped Guatemala draw the map back then, deliberately skewing the boundary five kiloters into our territory. A hundred years ago, they stole our land, and a hundred years later, they still want to use the sa paper to steal our oil.”
Casare lowered his voice, “Alfonso has been making many moves recently. His brother beca the Minister of Defense, his younger brother is the Minister of Internal Affairs, eight cabinet positions were given to relatives, and the military and police system is full of their Portillo family mbers. Last month, our intelligence station in Guatemala reported that the Presidential Palace purchased four bulletproof rcedes-Benzes with ‘rural road construction funds.'”
Victor muttered, “It only takes two steps for a revolutionary to beco a leech: gain power, forget original intentions!”
“Should we give him a warning?”
Casare asked, “We could reduce the oil aid, or ‘remind’ him that the xican garrison on the Chiapas border needs exercises soon.”
Victor thought for a few seconds, “Keep a close eye on him. If the British really want to find a knife, Alfonso is the most suitable one, close to us, with motive, but let’s hope he’s not that foolish!”
He walked back to the table and wrote a list of nas on the back of the telegram, “Have Bramo and Turing accelerate the deploynt of ‘Deep Blue Shield.’ I want communication records of all senior officials in the Guatemalan governnt, particularly international calls and encrypted signals.”
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