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Bolivarian Socialist Republic of Colombia
Official Name: Bolivarian Socialist Republic of Colombia
Ruling Party: Partido Comunista Colombianonote
Ideology: Bolivarianismnote
La Violencia was a turbulent, but defining moment in Colombia's history. The country's civil war ended with a triumph for the FR-7-8, the front would collapse under an unexpected deadlock. Then came the communists, who couped the Gaitanistas and, while killing Colombian democracy in the process, closed the chapter on Colombia's bloody decade. Now, an entire generation later, and Colombia remains under the unwavering red flag - only the hubris and ambition of the communists, the same that brought them to power and kept the regime alive on its own, may now lead to their destruction. General Tropes
- Allohistorical Allusion:
- In this timeline, Bolivarianism was developed as a Marxist, anti-imperialist, pan-American ideology by the Colombian Communist Party after it distanced itself from the USSR. Despite the shared name, its origins are drastically different from that of OTL Bolivarianism.
- Colombia's military in this timeline is also named the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and most of its high-ranking members are real-life FARC guerrillas. Of course, this timeline's FARC was not formed as a guerrilla organization but as a standing army.
- Colombia's internal conflict is completely inverted in this timeline. Instead of communist guerrillas fighting right-wing governments, there's right-wing guerrillas fighting a communist government, with the right-wing guerrillas being pro-government paramilitaries in OTL.
- Black Market: There is an entire underground drug market in Colombia - with right-wing guerrilla groups and allied cartels being responsible for the production and distribution of cocaine in Colombia and across Latin America, the revenues practically funding the armed resistance against the communist regime.
- The Cartel: While Colombia's drug problem isn't as intense as OTL, cartels are still active in the country in this timeline. The Lehder Cartel is by far the largest and most dangerous one, exporting cocaine to the rest of the Americas and doubling as an anti-communist insurgent group active in Colombia.
- Civil War: While not an outright civil war, Colombia is facing a low-level conflict between the government and right-wing guerrillas within remote regions of the country. These guerrillas only appear on the map if Colombia is destabilized, as the conflict is rekindled and transforms into an all-out war rather than an insurgency.
- Corrupt Politician: Corruption is particularly strong on the local level, with local party cadres often being entangled with or paid off by cartels and using their positions to abuse the system under the party's nose.
- Crapsaccharine World: Generally speaking, Colombia isn't doing too bad - it has good living standards for a communist country and, while economically weak due to its state of growing isolation, it isn't as unstable as Ecuador or Venezuela at the start. However, Colombia is ruled by an authoritarian communist party unwilling to give up power, while anti-communist guerrillas wage a silent war in the countryside at the expense of the rural population and cartels use the conflict to make a profit through the drug trade. Even the cities aren't safe, as the occasional bombing and government blackout reminds citizens of the type of reality they live in.
- Dirty Commies: While some Colombian leaders are not dirty communists, Colombia is nontheless an authoritarian regime that tries to infringe on the sovereignty of its neighbors and destabilize pro-American democracies in order to spread its influence, putting anti-fascism aside for their own interests and causing unnecessary destruction.
- Enemy Mine: Colombia and Argentina are diametrically opposed to one another, with Colombia being a communist state and Argentina being a fascist one. However, both states feel threatened by the United States and want to focus on displacing American influence in South America first and foremost.
- The Federation: If Colombia successfully displaces American influence from Ecuador and Venezuela, it will form the UNALAR (Union of Latin American Nations), a political, military and economic organization made to counter the OFN and as a stepping stone for future Latin American integration.
- Hero-Worshipper: Colombia fully embraced Simón Bolívar's image as a national hero and an icon of Latin American nationalism, enshrining his name beside that of Colombia.
- Richard Nixon, the Used Car Salesman: Pablo Escobar, founder of the Medellín Cartel and famous drug kingpin in our timeline, became a lawyer in this timeline's Colombia and never rose to prominence anywhere, settling down for a comfortable life in his hometown and starting a family.
- The Scapegoat: Having been the sole communist state in South America for decades, Colombia's neighbors look to it with suspicion. Right-wing politicians like Nestor González in Venezuela use fears of Colombian expansion to bring themselves to power and pin all their country's problems on Colombian interference.
- We ARE Struggling Together: Averted. The Colombian Communist Party is united behind the ideology of Bolivarianism, and the internal factions that spawn after Hurtado's death only disagree on the implementation of Bolivarianism, and the party will follow the ideological line of whichever candidate is put in power.
- Western Terrorists: Right-wing insurgent groups are active in Colombia, fighting against the government through indiscriminate violence and guerrilla warfare. These same insurgent organizations are also major players in Colombia's illegal drug trade.
- Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: Subverted. The right-wing militias opposing Colombia's communist dictatorship were at first hailed as freedom fighters by Colombian dissidents and the United States, but said militias rapidly became entangled in the drug trade and terrorized the local population, rapidly turning them into villains in the eyes of virtually every single government and self-respecting political organization.
General Secretary
Mario Upegui Hurtado
Role: General Secretary (2012)
Party: Partido Comunista Colombianonote
Ideology: Bolivarianismnote
Having taken the position of General Secretary in 1994, Hurtado has overseen Colombia's transformation from a Soviet satellite to the hungry jaguar of South America. Behind this transformation isn't an inspirational firebrand or a stubborn hardliner, but a humble, quiet old man with a belief in the historical process and a dream of liberation.- The Chains of Commanding: Hurtado doesn't enjoy the "uglier" aspects of ruling over a country like Colombia, and is distressed over the war happening in the countryside and the repression of dissent, but pushes his personal feelings aside and continues working for what he feels is the greater good.
- Defector from Decadence: Hurtado was frustrated with the USSR's unwillingness to assert its influence over Colombia and aid the country directly in fighting its internal conflict, breaking from Soviet-style communism for good and drifting away from the Comintern to lead Colombia down a separate path.
- The Idealist: Even though he knows communism in Colombia isn't ideal in its current state, he genuinely believes things will improve for Latin America once it finally overthrows capitalism and displaces American influence.
- Necessary Evil: Hurtado considers confrontation with the United States to be necessary for Colombia's survival, even if it harms the global struggle against German fascism. He believes the United States holds too much control and influence over the Americas and there is only one way to assert Latin American independence.
- Patriotic Fervor: Throughout his rule, he has strengthened Colombian nationalism by appealing to the image of Simón Bolívar and acting "according to national interests" instead of following the Comintern line of non-confrontation with the United States.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: As General Secretary, Hurtado has kept the Communist Party unified under his attentive leadership and has reformed Colombia's economy to empower the workers directly and drift towards a socialist market economy, abandoning the Vieira-era command economy.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: He dies of natural causes only four months into MTNO's timeframe.
- What's Up, King Dude?: He had his political beginnings as a social activist aiding the impoverished and victims of La Violencia, and continues to be close to the common people even as Colombia's leader.
General Secretaries (Hurtado Succession)
Gloria Inés Ramírez
Role: General Secretary (Potentially)
Party: Partido Comunista Colombiano - Radicalesnote
Ideology: Bolivarianismnote
The potential General Secretary for the radicals.- Breaking the Glass Ceiling: If she succeeds Hurtado, she'll become the first female leader in Colombian history.
- Chummy Commies: Ramírez is a Bolivarian communist who wants to empower Colombia's sexual and ethnic minorities and end discrimination against them. Downplayed, however, by the fact that she is just as authoritarian as her predecessors and supports Colombia's confrontational approach against the United States.
- Internal Reformist: In power; she will to carry out reforms to liberalize Colombian society and make it a safer place for those who have been neglected and wronged by her predecessors, bringing Colombia to a more progressive direction while retaining its Bolivarian ideology.
- Politically Correct Villain: She rules over Colombia as a communist dictator, but under her leadership Colombia will see significant gains for oppressed minorities who were previously neglected, like the LGBT community and Indigenous peoples.
Diego Betancur Álvarez
Role: General Secretary (Potentially)
Party: Partido Comunista Colombiano - Mosqueristasnote
Ideology: Bolivarianismnote
The potential General Secretary for the Mosquerists.- Boring, but Practical: Álvarez's reforms are quite conservative and centered on Colombia's rural population, but his agrarian reforms are very popular and will benefit the regime.
- Good Old Ways: Álvarez's rule is seen as a continuation to that of Francisco Mosquera, who briefly ruled Colombia from 1991 to 1994 in this timeline and tried to empower the peasantry by reforming Colombia's economy and carrying out land reforms until his rule was cut short by his death.
- Internal Reformist: Once in power, he will carry out agrarian reforms and try to improve the lives of Colombia's rural populace after years of urban-centered government policy.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Álvarez will try to maintain friendly ties to the USSR as to not lose their support, fearing that antagonizing the Soviets too much would be counterproductive to their main goals.
- Realpolitik: Álvarez will reach out to other non-aligned countries regardless of ideological orientation in search of potential economic allies, recognizing that Colombia can't rely on its neighbors to support it.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Álvarez is a decent leader with years of experience with party politics. In power, he will carry out land reforms and liberalize Colombia's rather strict laws on land ownership to win over the rural populace and weaken the support base of the right-wing guerrillas.
- The Remnant: Álvarez is what's left of the Mosquerista faction, centered on the agrarian-focused reformism of Francisco Mosquera. However, he still receives support from a good portion of the rest of the party due to his political experience.
- Universally Beloved Leader: He is the most popular out of all three leaders for his domestic policies, especially among the rural population.
Guillermo Sáenz Vargas
Role: General Secretary (Potentially)
Party: Partido Comunista Colombiano - Intransigentesnote
Ideology: Bolivarianismnote
The potential General Secretary for the Intransigents.- Allohistorical Allusion: Guillermo Sáenz Vargas, or as he is known in our timeline; Alfonso Cano, was a guerrilla, intellectual and leader of the FARC in our timeline. Here, because Colombia became communist during his youth, Vargas never became a guerrilla and entered politics as a civilian, although his hardline views have stayed the same in both timelines.
- Dirty Commies: Vargas is the most authoritarian, militaristic and uncompromising out of all three potential successors. He supports using military action and subversive tactics to incite revolutions and civil wars in neighboring countries, while brutally suppressing the populace in an attempt to crush the rebels in the countryside.
- Patriotic Fervor: Vargas will use anti-American nationalism to an even greater extent, agitating the population with fears of an American invasion and using the fervor to promote his military operations.
- Principles Zealot: He is an ardent communist who believes Marxism will win in the end, and is willing to take an uncompromising position against American capitalism and intensify Colombia's confrontational policy.
- Status Quo Is God: Vargas leads the Intransigent faction in the PCC, which is opposed to any type of reform and wants a more conservative approach to domestic issues, instead prioritizing Colombia's external affairs and taking an uncompromising stance against American imperialism, hence their name.
- Warhawk: If America invades Venezuela and occupies it, he will support the Bolivarian insurgency directly by sending small groups of FARC soldiers into Venezuela to assist and train the rebels directly, all while denying Colombia's involvement.
