ECAL
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| Estados Confederados de America Latina America Latina Confederate States of Latin America Latin America | |
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| Flag | Coat of arms |
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| Anthem America Latina Delantera! | |
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| Capital Largest city | Santiago de Chile 33°26�S, 70°40�W Buenos Aires |
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| Official languages | Spanish |
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| Government - President | Constitutional federal republic Michelle Bachelet |
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| Establishment - Indpendence and union | 1950 |
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| Area - Total - Water (%) | 7,977,756 km² 3,085,391 sq mi 2.24 |
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| Population - July 2008 est. - Density | 168,103,307 21/km² 54.5/sq mi |
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| GDP - Total - Per capita | 2009 estimate $2.9 trillion $17,621 |
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| Gini | 36.7 (medium) |
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| HDI | 0.987 (high) |
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| Currency | ECAL Peso (LAP)
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| Time zone - Summer (DST) | (UTC -5 to -3) (UTC -4 to -2) |
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| Internet TLD | .al |
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| Calling code | +94 |
The Confederate States of Latin America (Estados Confederados de America Latina, or ECAL) is a federal republic comprising all of the Spainish speaking nations of South America (except Venezuela) plus Panama. It consists of the following states:
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
There is also a Federal Territory, the Santiago Federal Territory, which is the seat of the Federal Government.
Contents |
History
Foundation
The ECAL was founded as a result of the Santiago Conference of 1946. In this conference, the leaders of the Spanish-speaking South American nations, plus Panama discussed the future of Hispanic South America. With the exception of Venezuela, all the nations decided on a Confederation.
In 1947, the Santiago Acuerdo (Santiago Agreement) was signed by the participants (excluding Venezuela). In 1947, the Convencion Constitucional met in Buenos Aires to consider a Constitution.
The requirement set under the Acuerdo was that all the state governments should agree to it before it came into force, and that it be put to the people. The requirement for victory was a majority of voters in at least 6 states.
The referendum passed in all states in 1949, with the first Presidential, and Congressional elections scheduled for 1950.
Early Democracy
The broadly conservative electorate, expectedly, voted for the Christian Democracy Party in the first elections. The country's economy went along fairly well, the ECAL was gaining a good international reputation, which was aided by a contribution to the Korean War.
There was still a lot of discontent with the new arrangement from the left (who argued that the ECAL was too good to big business), and from the right (who argued for a return to separatism), but the ECAL progressed.
A scandal in the Gonzalez Administration, combined with a lagging peso, and an economic downturn brought a left-wing candidate into office in 1955. His Administration didn't solve the nation's econmic problems, but he managed to get through the 1959 Elections by starting an inflationary boom before the polls. This fell apart quickly, and that, along with his unprecedented attempt at a third term in office caused him to lose the election.
President Belaunde took charge of a country with an almost worthless currency, rising unemployment, rising prices, falling real wages. Belaunde decided to try some free market reforms, and a reduction in government spending. This reduction in spending was to hit defence fairly hard. This, combined with the general state of the country under its elected governments, rising civil disorder, and a threat by the state of Ecuador to secede pushed an already politically-active into a coup.
Military Dictatorship
Led by General Juan Carlos OnganÃa, a military Junta took over the Confederate States of Latin America in 1965. With Communist revolts in Peru, Colombia and Ecuador not yet subdued, the Johnson Administration gave modest support to the Junta. This support however did not extend to the provision of arms. The Americans were the habitual suppliers of military hardware to Central and South America, usually obsolete military equipment was supplied. The Junta wanted Phantoms to defend itself against Brazil (or to attack Brazil, which is what the Johnson Administration believed). The refusal moved the junta closer to France and Britain. Ongania tried to run the Latin American economy on a corporatist model. To gain popularity he printed money to spend on public works projects. The corporatist model began to break down under its own weight in the early 1970s. Massive external debts, and a worsening insurgency in Colombia substantially weakened the military regime of Ongania, yet the Corporatist model remained relatively popular. The rhetoric of national development, self-sufficiency, and independence resonated with the people. Accordingly the blame for the failures of the corporatist model went to Ongania and his Junta personally, rather than towards the model itself. In 1973, the stage was for new leadership. On March 9th, 1973 Ongania was out of the country, on a state visit to Nicaragua.
The ambitious Paraguayan, General Alfredo Stroessner took over while Ongania was in Nicaragua. Stroessner promised to fix the economy, close the labour camps, and release the political prisoners. He also promised to defeat the insurgents in Peru, Colombia and now Argentina. The Stroessner regime received some initial support from the United States, in the form of F-4 Phantoms and F-5 Tigers. Human rights concerns influencing the U.S. Congress led to the suspension of the military assistance. Stroessner's new economic policies were merely to have different people run the corporatist economy. He also ordered the issue of the Peso Nuevo to replace the Peso Latinoamericano. This appeared to deal with the rampant inflation, although in fact it merely covered it (for a time). By the early eighties, inflation started to pick up again, government external debt exploded, and growth collapsed. Even with Stroessner's increased repression (he never upheld his promises of releasing political prisoners and closing labour camps), resistance to the government had even resulted in a number of street demonstrations in major cities such as Lima, Buenos Aires, and even Santiago. Stroessner needed a distraction, something to unite the people, he hit upon an invasion of the Falkland Islands as the ideal solution. The invasion was scheduled to begin in summer 1983. The professional military (as opposed to the "political" military) were opposed to going to war with Great Britain.
With the failure of all other efforts to stop the war, the Chief of Army Operations, General Augusto Pinochet took the most drastic step, and sent the Armed Forces in, against Stroessner.
Modern era
Government
The Confederate States of Latin America (ECAL) has a constitutional republican system of government.
Constitution
The Constitution of the Confederate States of Latin America is the governing document of the ECAL. It provides for all branches of the Federal Government, all of its powers, and specific protections of rights.
The Constitution has 5 Articles:
- The Preamble
- The Congress
- The Executive
- The Judiciary
- The Bill of Rights
The first four articles were all ratified in 1949, the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1950.
It contains the following clauses:
- Congress shall make no law regarding freedom of speech
- Congress shall make no law respecting the individual right to keep and bear arms
- Congress shall make no law regarding the practice, or non-practice of religion
- Congress shall make no law regarding the freedom to assemble peacefully
- Congress shall make no law regarding the right of the people to petition the government for redress of grievance
- Congress shall make no law regarding the freedom of the press
- Congress shall not provide for the seizure of property except through due process of criminal law
- No soldier shall be quartered in any house in time of peace, except by consent of the owner, nor in time of war except in a manner proscribed by law
- No person shall be called upon to answer for any felony or misdemenour, unless indicted by a Grand Jury consisting of not les than 10 citizens of good standing, unless serving in Naval, Military, and Air Forces while under proper Defence Jurisdiction
- No person shall be compelled to bear witness against himself
- No person shall be called to answer for the same offence twice, nor shall Government have leave to appeal an acquittal in court
- All persons properly indicted on criminal matters shall be given a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of their peers in the jurisdiction in which a defendant is called upon to answer charges.
- All persons answering to criminal charges in court shall have the right to face their accusers.
- All persons answering to criminal charges shall have the right to compell witnesses to testify on their behalf
- All persons answering to criminal charges shall have the right to counsel to assist in their defence
- In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the Confederate States, than according to the rules of the common law.
- Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
- The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
- All powers not delegated to the Confederate States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people
The Constitution provides for a separation of powers. Somone serving in one branch of government must not serve in another.
Legislature
The Legislature of the ECAL is called "El Congreso". It consists of a Senate, and a House of Deputies.
The Senate
The Senate consists of 73 Senators. 4 for each of the 9 states, plus one for Santiago. Half the Senators are appointed on leap-years, the rest are appointed on the even numbered years between leap years. Senators are appointed directly by the State Government's they represent. Chile, Bolivia, and Panama use General Ticket Voting to determine appointments. Argentina, and Ecuador use Gubernatorial Appointment, the rest hse elections in the State Legislatures. Though the Senate can block or defer bills, it cannot initiate bills. The Senate must provide its consent to senior government appointments.
The House of Deputies
The House of Deputies is elected directly every four years (on leap years). The House has 250 members, and is the lower house. It has the power to initiate legislation.
Executive
The Executive Branch is headed by the President (currently Michelle Bachelet).
The President has the following powers:
Executive Powers
- Day to day management of the Federal Government
- Issuing rules and regulations persuant to statutes.
- Command-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
- Nomination of officials (subject to the consent of the Senate)
Legislative Powers
Though the President is not part of the legislature, the President can send bills to Congress (normally through the President's Party's most senior Representative). The President must address Congress annually to outline the state of the Confederate States, and outline a specific policy agenda.
Judicial Powers
The President can pardon, or suspend the sentence of anyone convicted in a Federal Court, except in the case of the impeachment of a public official.
Foreign Affairs
The President is responsible for the Confederate States' relations with the world. The President nominates all Ambassadors, Ministers, and Consuls.
Cabinet
The Cabinet, though not formally constituted, is the centre of the executive branch. It consists of the President, Vice-President, and the heads of Federal Government Departments.
The Cabinet of the Bachelet Administration.
| Department | Head Position | Minister |
| -none- | Vice-President | Alberto Fujimori |
| Ministry of Finance | Minister of Finance | José Piñera |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Minister of Foreign Affairs | Jose Ruiz |
| Ministry of Defence | Minister of Defence | Ramon Diaz |
| Attorney-General's Department | Attorney-General | Rita Lopez |
| Ministry of Transport | Minister of Transport | Francesca Torres |
| Ministry of Health | Minister of Health | Alvaro Erazo |
| Ministry of Public Works | Minister of Public Works | Eduardo Bitran |
| Ministry of Social Affairs | Minister of Social Affairs | Elvira Montores |
| Ministry of State | Minister of State | Jorge Fernandez |
The Ministry of Transport is mainly responsible for national infrastructure. The Ministry of State manages the Federal Government's relations with the states, as well as elections at the Federal level.
The President is elected by an Electoral College. The Electors are chosen by State Legislatures, and each state as a number of electors which corresponds to the number of Deputies it sends to the House of Deputies, plus 2 (corresponding to the number of Senators). The manner of choosing Electors is up to the State Legislatures in question.
Foreign Relations
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| General: Confederate States of Latin America, Economy of the ECAL, Justice and Law in the ECAL, President Michelle Bachelet, Presidency | |
| Political: Partido Republicano Constitucional, Partido Laborista Socialista, Partido de la Democracia Cristiana | |
| Military: Fuerzas Armadas, Armada, Ejercito, Fuerza Aerea, Infanteria de Marina, Guardia Nacional | |
| Military Aircraft: FMA SAIAL 90, A-4AL Fightinghawk | |
| Armoured Vehicles: TLAM Medium Tank, TLAP Main Battle Tank | |
| Warships: Ship Profiles, Ardiente and Valeroso class destoyers | |
