[b][i]Brasilia, Brazil:[/i][/b]

"[i]Senhor[/i] President, Senator Catarina is here."

"Ah good, send her in." replied Adriano Claro, president of the Federative Republic of Brazil. He had arranged this meeting to discuss matters of policy with the senator, as he was certain that his majority in the Senate would not last and wanted to be on speaking terms with the senior Liberal Party leader before the election in August.

"Mrs. Belo, how wonderful to have you here today," Claro spoke in a friendly voice. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"I'm quite well without it, thank you, [i]Senhor[/i] President." replied Senator Bela, a striking woman of thirty-eight. She was a rising star in the Liberal Party who had captured the spirit of Brazil's older residents and youth alike, eager for a change from the ever-left leaning People's Party and a new alignment in the world, and despite her young age in comparison to many of the Senators, she had a commanding knowledge of policy and a talent for speaking which put many of her fellow politicians to shame. There was some talk about her becoming the first female president. "Am I here for you to congratulate me on my stunning electoral victory?" she asked, laughing with a twinkle in her eye.

President Claro chuckled. "I'm not quite ready to concede to you yet, [i]Senhora[/i]." "On the contrary, I expect we shall have to forge a coalition, with your party expected to carry the Senate by a fairly large margin. If we can't nail down a policy direction, I expect General Antonio will have both our heads." The President was joking, but only halfway.

"Surely that is the truth," replied Senator Catarina, shaking her head. "The army has accumulated far too much influence. We need to ensure that they remain submissive to our authority, or we shall suffer as this country, and many others on this continent, did during the thirties and forties." "But that is not the subject of this meeting, is it?"

Claro shook his head. "Spain," he said, the one word carrying all the meaning necessary to deliver his message.

"Imperialists." Bela pursed her lips at the subject. "Do they know no bounds? Must the entire world unite to contain them? And the Communists ask us to seek China to solve all of our problems. Amen I ask you, where are the Chinese now when their so-called allies are in need?"

"We must do something." spoke Claro, with a firm conviction in his voice. "But what?"

"It's clear to me that the Brazilian public would not stand behind another absurd foreign policy venture. You tried that in 1976, and it certainly did not fly." Bela sat thoughtfully for a moment. "We ought to take a page from Spain's own book. There are reports that men enthusiastic for the Spanish cause have joined an international battalion to fight in Africa. Surely we can promote the same?"

"Of course." Adriano leaned forward. "Many of the generals tell me that there are soldiers anxious to help the Ethiopian cause, but intervening directly would be disastrous." "If we outfit them with spare equipment and give them humanitarian aid to deliver, we can contribute in a small but meaningful manner to the resistance against Spain."

"All while showing them that the world is displeased with their actions." replied Senator Bela.

"That is an excellent idea which I shall anxiously put into practice. I thank you for it. Now, for the other matter which I wanted to discuss."

Catarina Bela nodded. "Economics." "There is little more divisive in all South America."

"Implementing the Liberal Party's plan of reform, returning all the state-owned industry to private control, would be nothing less than disastrous. You know this." Claro stared Senator Bela down while he said this.

She returned his expression evenly, with the solemnity of an expert poker player. "Perhaps. But you know full well the driving reason for my party's rise is the high taxes you have placed upon our people. Surely the idea of socialism is to improve the welfare of all people? How can you do this by crushing them?"

Claro's frown deepened. "A better tomorrow is worth the effort of today." His expression then lightened slightly, in an attempt to preserve the conversation's civility. "But I see your point. Would your party be amenable to some compromise on taxes in exchange for retaining state control of the upper echelons of industry?"

"I can see if that would be acceptable." Bela smiled, knowing full well that she had forced a concession without even winning an election. She then rose from her seat. "This has been a fine and productive conversation, [i]Senhor[/i] President."

"Indeed it has," replied Claro. "I hope for further constructive dialogue in the future."

"As do I," replied Bela, before she strode out of the room.

[b][i]Asuncion, Brazil:[/i][/b]

"So tell me, Major, what have you been seeing in terms of the movement of forces on their side of the border?" General Antonio Buendia, the highest-ranking general in the Brazilian Armed Forces, asked the question dully as if he already knew the answer.

"Sir, the Argentinians have been ramping up their troop movement. It clearly isn't preparation for invasion, but it is highly aggressive and likely intended to provoke us into action. Reconnaissance planes have confirmed this."

Tensions had been rising between the Brazilians and Spanish-leaning Argentinians for the last two years. Few people suspected an actual invasion, that would be foolhardy considering Brazil had twice the forces, but any aggressive act in return would be a major hit to the Brazilian image, what with all the President's talk about eradicating imperialism.

General Antonio bristled with anger. "We must find grounds to give these Argentinians what is coming to them. Mark my words, that will be my advice to the next administration."

[b][i]Sao Paulo, Brazil, Later that Week:[/i][/b]

[i]"My fellow Brazilians and South Americans,"[/i] began President Claro as he stood before the microphone of the press conference room in Sao Paulo.

[i]"Over the course of this century, we have seen many blatant examples of imperialism. The Great War which so rocked this world was driven by it, as the rival powers of Europe contested for influence over the rest of the world as if it was their own personal battleground. Nations have been annexed, even exterminated, all in the name of empire. But in all my life thus far, I have seen no such example as flagrant a violation of the international order as the unprovoked attack which now is taking place against the Ethiopian state by the so-called Second Spanish 'Republic'."

"Prime Minister Sotelo has continued his nation's violent colonialist legacy by trying to eradicate one of the few remaining bastions of hope for the great African people. And as such, the Federative Republic of Brazil categorically condemns the actions of the Spanish Republic, and applauds the new president of the United States for his words on the matter. Let this agreement show that the Americas, North and South, are united against this aggressive move."

"I have been asked many times by my fellow citizens and Latin American brothers what can be done to defeat this enemy. While Brazil lacks the strength to bring its forces to bear against such a European threat, already I am told that the first international brigades in support of our African comrades are being formed, with the intent to demonstrate the Brazilian people's support of the Ethiopian plight. I applaud the initiative of the great people of Brazil and of all South America in this action, and wish them the best of luck."

"Finally, I wish to reach out to the people of Ethiopia and express the greatest sympathy. I have already sent a bill before the Chamber of Deputies which would initiate a small but meaningful transfer of humanitarian aid. Every empire will fall in its day, and so too will the Empire of the Spanish vanish from the face of this earth."[/i]