I Became The Crown Prince Of The Mexican Empire Novel - Chapter 176
## Chapter 176
< Colombia (5) >
Seven out of ten revolutionary officers favored taking control of Nueva Granada and establishing a new nation to rule directly, while only the early leaders, such as Antonio Marquez and Miguel Santander, supported joining the Mexican Empire as they had originally intended.
Faced with this shocking reality, Marquez, the young leader of the revolutionaries, looked up at the sky from his window alone for a moment. The late afternoon sun shone through the window at a slant.
After a moment of contemplation, Marquez spoke to the officers.
“Let’s go to the capital first. Let’s go to the capital, take control of the political situation, and decide our fate.”
Marquez’s decision was once again a temporary patch-up.
He was struggling to find balance between the humble ideals that had ignited the revolution and the harsh realities of politics. Countless worries and discussions crossed his mind, but a clear answer was elusive. He felt that everything was getting bigger and slipping out of his control.
But he couldn’t give up now. He insisted that they shouldn’t be divided yet. They had defeated the church-landowner alliance, but they weren’t in control of those regions, and the central government in the capital still considered them rebels.
Fortunately, the officers agreed.
Taking over the entire country, including the capital, was what they wanted.
United in opinion temporarily through Marquez’s mediation, the revolutionaries marched towards the capital.
The road to the capital, at an altitude of 2,500 meters, was long and arduous. It was hot when they set off, but it got colder as they climbed.
Finally, they reached the capital.
The streets of Bogota were tense. On the one hand, there was the enthusiasm of those who longed for change, and on the other hand, the anxiety of those who wanted to preserve the current regime. There was a strange thrill in the air, as if something new was about to begin.
The central government tried to conscript citizens of the capital to oppose the revolutionaries, but they were met with fierce resistance from the citizens.
“Woo woo!”
“Get lost! Conscription is out of the question!”
“You sort out your power struggles!”
“The revolutionaries are better!”
There were even incidents where citizens swarmed and beat up the conscription officers.
With the cooperation of the citizens of Bogota, who opposed the central government rather than fighting the revolutionaries, Marquez and the revolutionaries entered the capital without bloodshed.
The capital buzzed with their arrival. The shouts of the people who longed for change and gathered under the banner of the revolution filled the streets. Marquez, riding on horseback through the cheering crowds as a conquering hero, looked noble.
The man who had declared himself president without an election was dragged to prison without putting up any real resistance.
Finally, the revolution had succeeded.
“Isn’t it time to decide? We’ve got the capital, what are we hesitating for?”
Esteban Espinosa, who had consolidated his position as the third-ranking figure in the revolutionary army by rallying the pro-establishment faction.
He was a native of Cartagena Province and an early member, having been with them since the days of the Free Citizen Alliance. He had once supported joining the Mexican Empire, but he had changed at some point.
The pro-establishment faction, led by him, had now become one of the mainstream factions within the revolutionary army. They could no longer be ignored.
“First, we have to act as a provisional government.”
“That’s right. We’ve even overthrown the president, it’s irresponsible to do nothing.”
With the situation being what it was, Marquez had no choice but to back down. Marquez, in a cold voice, made a proposal to Esteban, once his friend.
“Esteban, let’s do this. After we’ve taken control of the entire region, we’ll hold a nationwide vote. Will we join the Mexican Empire, or will we hold a presidential election for a new nation? Wasn’t the very birth of our organization about the people of Cartagena Province deciding the fate of Cartagena Province? We’re just expanding that to the whole country.”
It was a fair point.
Wasn’t the Free Citizen Alliance created to prevent the unilateral independence and establishment of a new nation by members of the ‘Eastern Alliance’, a gathering of landowners on the eastern coast of Nueva Granada?
Esteban thought to himself.
‘I’ve persuaded everyone I could. Marquez, Santander, and the rest of the officers are impossible to persuade.’
He couldn’t attempt a coup either. The revolutionary soldiers and the public would side with Marquez, who wanted a vote.
‘Assassination?’
Even if he killed Marquez, Santander, and the pro-merger officers, it wouldn’t be the end. There would be a huge backlash within the revolutionary army, and there was a high probability of another civil war.
‘What if I accept the vote? No matter how messed up the government has been so far, would there really be that many people who want to join the Mexican Empire? Isn’t this a hard-won independence?’
Esteban, when he was just a citizen of Cartagena Province, had thought it would be better to be annexed by the Mexican Empire, but he had forgotten all that in just a year or two.
“Alright. Let’s do it that way.”
***
The provisional government quickly took control of the regions and prepared for the vote.
Public opinion was in turmoil.
Support for the pro-establishment faction and the pro-merger faction was almost split in half.
“Still, those revolutionaries are different, aren’t they? They’re going to request annexation by Mexico, that’s a bit···.”
Even if there was no such thing as patriotism, there was a vague aversion to requesting annexation by a foreign country.
“Oh, come on, man. How many people have said they’re different, and you still believe them? Think realistically. Will the country change just because those young people take power?”
“Then Mexico is different?”
“It is. Panama too, they haven’t already laid down a railroad network in all the territories they’ve acquired. Politically stable, and their military strength is not even worth mentioning. I want to live in a stable country for once.”
The people of Nueva Granada were tired of the political turmoil that had been going on since before independence. The revolutionaries were able to gather troops because of their desire for change.
“Buy a newspaper! Newspaper! Don’t be late!”
Newspapers across Nueva Granada were experiencing an unprecedented golden age. The debate was more intense than ever before. Editorials and columns about establishment or merger poured out, and there were constant debates among famous commentators. The verbal battles taking place in the newspapers sometimes spilled over into heated debates in the streets. The power of print seemed to herald a new era.
The pro-establishment faction argued that they would inherit the spirit of the revolution and reform the country, appealing to the faint patriotism and national pride.
“We cannot give up the freedom and independence we have fought for with our blood. Isn’t it our duty and pride to build a nation with our own strength and fulfill the aspirations of the people, even in difficult circumstances?”
“We have gained the opportunity to decide the fate of Nueva Granada ourselves after a long struggle. It is against the ideals of the revolution to give up that right now and be absorbed by another country. The Mexican Empire may be a powerful nation, but it is a country with a different history and identity from ours. We must forge our own future as a nation!”
The citizens’ reaction was ambiguous.
“Hmm, a nation? Do we have a nation?”
1848.
In Europe, in places like Prussia, the Austrian Empire, and Italy, liberal revolutions were taking place, and nationalism was spreading rapidly, but in the Americas, especially in South America, it was almost meaningless.
The concept of nationalism itself was still unfamiliar, and even those who knew it only recognized the concept of a nation based on bloodline.
The racial composition of Nueva Granada was approximately 25% white, 40% mestizo, 25% indigenous, and 10% African.
If we limit it to whites and mestizos, most of them could be said to be of Spanish descent, but they didn’t consider themselves a nation.
In the salons of the capital, white and mestizo intellectuals discussed national identity and drew blueprints for establishment or merger. But for the mestizos and indigenous people who toiled in the mines and on the farms, it was a story from a distant land. All they wanted was immediate tax relief and more food for their children, just stability. Meanwhile, on the coast, blacks began to stir at the possibility of the abolition of slavery. Expectations of the revolutionaries varied depending on their situation.
The pro-merger faction argued.
“The Mexican Empire is no different from Ecuador or Venezuela, which gained independence from us before! Don’t we share the same language and culture? We also share the common history of being ruled by Spain for hundreds of years before gaining independence, the only difference is a mere 20 years!”
“Hmm, that’s not wrong···.”
Wasn’t the fate of the two countries too different for it to be just 20 years? No matter how many commonalities they shared, there was no way to avoid their differences. But the pro-merger faction had a weapon, a realistic benefit to appeal to the people, besides these conceptual things.
“We will have more job opportunities and stable income. As the empire’s vast capital and technology flow in, various sectors such as agriculture, mining, and commerce will grow rapidly, which will lead to improvements in the lives of ordinary people.”
“Roads will be improved, and railroads will be laid. Hospitals and schools will be built, ports will be expanded, and irrigation facilities will be constructed!”
Economic prosperity, and the construction of various social infrastructure, including education and healthcare. There were countless other benefits to list.
For the people of Nueva Granada, this vote was a headache the more they thought about it, but it was too important to avoid.
The same was true for José Hilario López.
For him, a liberal who was a disciple of Simón Bolívar and sought reform, this issue was truly difficult.
“The Mexican Empire is an advanced nation that has already achieved the abolition of slavery, secularization, and the expansion of voting rights, which you have advocated for, Mr. López. If we join Mexico, can’t we achieve all of this immediately?”
“But the emperor’s power is too great. The parliament is just a rubber stamp that moves according to the emperor’s will.”
Santander, the second-in-command of the revolutionaries, persistently visited López to persuade him. Now that they had taken control of the country, they couldn’t solve everything with swords. It was even more so because they had decided to make a decision through voting.
The pro-merger faction and the pro-establishment faction were trying to attract prominent figures from the country.
José Hilario López, who had risen to the rank of commander in the army and had experience as a governor, papal ambassador, senator, and minister, was a figure who was even mentioned as a presidential candidate.
“And I have no intention of giving up on this country. It’s a country with many shortcomings, and I understand that the people are tired, but it’s still the legacy of Simón Bolívar, isn’t it?”
López, who had fought alongside Simón Bolívar, knew how hard they had fought for independence.
The memory of fighting for the freedom of this land, shedding blood on the battlefield, was vivid. The faces of his comrades, who had stood their ground against Spanish bullets and swords, inch by inch, flashed before his eyes like a slideshow. Could he overcome the current predicament with the passion and conviction of that time? The question weighed heavily on López’s mind.
“Simón Bolívar dreamed of the unification of ‘Latin America’. At that time, many intellectuals agreed with his ideals. Didn’t you, Mr. López? I would like you to recall the reason. Why did he want unification?”
“The unification of Latin America···.”
The term Latin America was unfamiliar, but López understood immediately. It was a term referring to the countries of the Americas that used Romance languages, distinguishing them from Anglo-American countries like the United States and Canada.
The reason why Simón Bolívar convened the Panama Conference in 1826.
There were three main reasons.
First, concern about invasion by Spain or other European powers.
Second, overcoming internal divisions and conflicts. Bolívar believed that a superior federal government was necessary to overcome these divisions and restore stability and order.
Third, the economic development and modernization of Latin America. Bolívar expected that Latin America could achieve prosperity through market expansion and industrialization if it became a single economic bloc.
Simón Bolívar’s worries and expectations were valid. In reality, European powers and the United States were trying to exert influence on various countries in South America, they were suffering from endless internal divisions and conflicts, and their economies were not developing.
But all of this could be solved by joining the Mexican Empire. The Mexican Empire has a strong military, a strong government, and a strong economy.
“Bolívar’s dream was truly great. But it was never easy to make that dream a reality. Aside from institutional discussions about federalism or centralism, it required the voluntary participation of the people of each country, which was practically impossible. But things are different now. The Mexican Empire has a strong institutional foundation and material basis that makes our people voluntarily desire annexation.”
Santander was desperate. His long mission was finally coming to an end. If he could persuade the man in front of him, he would have crossed the 80% mark.
“···I don’t know how our regions of Nueva Granada will be treated within the empire, or how much autonomy will be guaranteed. Are we just relying on the goodwill of the Mexican Empire?”
“That’s something I’m also worried about. But isn’t there a precedent? After the Mexican Empire gained independence, five regions, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, requested to join the Mexican Empire. Those regions enjoy the same level of prosperity as central or northern Mexico, and they have exactly the same political rights.”
They had joined Iturbide’s empire out of fear of Spain’s re-invasion. López, swayed by Santander’s persuasion, citing the precedent, still had one thing that bothered him.
“Even so, why don’t you understand that under an emperor with absolute power, the freedom and rights of our people can be threatened at any time.”
The enormous power of the Mexican emperor.
That was the problem.
Even if they gave voting rights to most adult males, the Mexican emperor could make the parliament powerless or abolish it altogether if he changed his mind.
“Mexico’s constitutional monarchy is working properly. The reason why the emperor has great power is because the Imperial faction members were elected in large numbers due to the many achievements accumulated by the previous generations and the high approval rating they have as a result.”
Despite Santander’s persuasion, López’s heart leaned towards the pro-establishment faction. He was more attracted to Esteban’s words about starting over with the name ‘Colombia’ and changing the country.
Santander returned empty-handed again.
His mind began to change a few days later, when López started hearing news that Esteban was meeting with landowners from each province and people from the church.
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