Saint Theodoros

San Teodoro (or San Theodoros) is a fictional South American republic created by the Belgian cartoonist and screenwriter Hergé and featured in some of the albums of The Adventures of Tintin.

Tintin and Saint Theodore

In fiction, San Teodoro is an unstable South American republic whose capital corresponds to Las Dopicos (although after the last of the coups d'état of General Tapioca, it changed its name to Tapiocápolis, and after the return to power by General Alcázar, changed its name again). Its main river is the Badurayal, on the banks of which, in the jungle region of the country, the Arumbayas tribe lives. The country will achieve its independence in the 19th century, after the fight waged by General Olivaro (1805-1899).

The album La oreja rota features the confrontation between two soldiers for political power in the country: General Alcázar and General Tapioca. Another political conflict also appears with the neighboring country of Nuevo Rico, promoted by the US oil company General American Oil, in relation to the alleged existence of oil wells in the Gran Chapo region. With this Hergé was referring to the real event of the Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay (the capital of Nuevo Rico, Sanfanción, shows a great similarity with Asunción, the capital of Paraguay).

The album Tintin and the Rogues shows the connections with the mustache regime of Borduria, another imaginary country created by Hergé.

The location of San Teodoro is in South America (as indicated in Tintin and the Rogues, when it is said that Bianca Castafiore is touring South America and arrives in San Teodoro after passing through Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, and also when Captain Haddock sends a telegram to General Tapioca). In the television episode La oreja rota, a map can be seen indicating that San Teodoro is located in the northwest of South America, north of the Amazon and south of Suriname and the Guyana (that is, it would occupy part of present-day Brazil). In that same story it is seen that it has a port, so that the country borders on the sea; and also an airport.

History

Pre-Columbian times and colonization

In pre-Columbian times, the region of present-day San Teodoro was inhabited by various native cultures such as:

• The Paztecas: a group of peoples who joined to form the so-called Peaceful Empire. They were very developed with respect to their neighboring enemies, the arumbayas and the barbarians. Great architects and astronomers built numerous temples and palaces. They were based on agriculture, in which they applied successful farming methods, and trade, through their excellent communication channels. They also paid a strong tribute to the Arumbayas and the barbarians in exchange for peacekeeping.

• The barbarians and the Arumbayas: indigenous tribes that were far behind in respect of the Peaceful Empire. They survived by hunting and collecting fruits. They lived in simple huts, under the leadership of a cacique.

In March 1533, a Spanish expedition under the command of Herncisco Piztés entered the current lands of San Teodoro. They had a first contact with the Bibarians, who received the Europeans as saviors and offered them all kinds of gifts. Continuing the march, the Spanish met the Arumbayas, who joyfully handed over their land to the conquistadors.

They continued the campaign until they encountered the Paztecs. These, unlike the previous towns, received the Spanish with fear and hostility. Despite this, the confused Paztec Emperor, Moctehualpa II, received the conquistadors in his capital, the mythical and beautiful city of Tenuzco. Within a few days, Píctez's men assassinated the Emperor and sacked the city. In 1535, Cuathzcan, Moctehualpa's grandson, united what was left of the Paztec army and started a rebellion that ended with the expulsion of the Spanish from Tenuzco. Herncisco Piztés was barely able to save his life.

In 1536, once Piztés had obtained reinforcements from Cuba, he allied himself militarily with the Bíbaros and the Arumbayas and together they marched towards Tenuzco. There were a total of about 1,000 Europeans and 25,000 indigenous Arumbayas and Bíbaros. In Tenuzco, Cuathzcan went out to face them in the battle of Monte Tuma, where 50,000 men could do nothing against the powerful cavalry and the incessant Spanish artillery. It was a total massacre of the Paztecs that ended with the conquest of Tenuzco, which was razed to the ground.

Once the conquest was over, the Spanish began colonizing the land. Near where Tenuzco was located, they founded the city of "Nuestra Señora de Las Dópicos" in 1539. The colonization of San Teodoro was very peaceful. The colony exported raw materials such as yerba mate, chocolate, gold, and coffee. The native society was mixed with the European, which resulted in a great miscegenation in the population.

Independence from Spain

The Napoleonic invasion of Spain was used by the Santheodoro patriots to get rid of Spanish rule, which imposed more and more taxes on exports and businesses. In the Patriotic Meetings of April 1813, the rebellion of the Santheodoro people against the Spanish yoke was called. On July 17, 1833, the Creole General José Olivaro led the uprising in the barracks of the city of Quemán, after which he led the army town by town in the interior of the country until he managed to form an army strong enough to face the forces of the Spanish governor Juan de Chania.

At the battle of Monte Olindo, on December 3, 1833, 10,000 Santheodoro patriots led by Olivario defeated 7,000 royalist soldiers. After the battle, Chania handed over the city of Las Dopicos to the patriots and accepted the independence of the Republic, in addition to providing his services to San Teodoro. But in January 1834, Viceroy José Yustia entered San Theodore territory at the command of 20,000 soldiers, in order to put an end to independence.

General Olivario went out to receive him with 7,000 men on the plain of Visquia. The battle took place on February 5, 1834. The battle seemed lost for the independence cause, but the arrival of 5,000 patriotic reinforcements under the command of Juan de Chania himself encouraged the independence supporters, who ultimately defeated the royalists in this decisive battle.. Yustia fled with few men back to his city. San Teodoro was independent. De Chania was received with all the honors in Las Dópicos.

Soon after De Chania and Olivario became consuls of the Republic of San Teodoro. The new country prospered under the strong but popular rule of these two warlords. In 1840, Juan de Chania died of natural causes. With this, the economic and social situation worsened, and in 1842 the high landowners rebelled against Olivario, who was forced into exile in Europe. In the Congress of 1843 Julio Gomia was proclaimed as president of the nation. From then on, an endless period of rebellions and overthrows began, making San Teodoro one of the countries with the most presidents in history.

20th century

In 1924, disputes began between two of the country's renowned soldiers, General Alcázar, leader of the San Teodoro National Party, and General Tapioca, leader of the Popular Revolutionary Party. Likewise, territorial disputes began between San Teodoro and Nuevo Rico over the Chapo region, due to investigations that claimed to have found oil in that area.

In 1934, Tapioca rose to power. But two years later, General Alcázar, through a coup d'état, overthrew him and prepared the country for a war against Nuevo Rico. Colonel Tintin's cunning would temporarily prevent war, but Alcázar had him arrested soon after after receiving slanderous reports about him. Colonel Tintin managed to escape from prison, but when he fled in an armored car belonging to the San Theodoro army, he crossed the border and inadvertently triggered the war.

The war lasted for months, but neither country was able to defeat the other, and when it was learned that there was no oil in El Chapo, Nuevo Rico and San Teodoro reached a peace agreement. After the war, Tapioca regained power, and immediately the economic crisis seized the country. After two decades in the dark, Alcázar overthrows Tapioca.

The Bordurian government's support for Tapioca made it easier for him to quickly recover power. However, Alcázar, after a guerrilla war and a large and quick coup, expels Tapioca from the government. Alcázar, breaking with tradition, decided to commute the death sentence of his enemy. A short time later, the first democratic elections were held in the country, which is currently experiencing a great period of prosperity and economic development.

Army

The army of San Teodoro has 3,487 colonels and only 49 corporals. Colonel Álvarez is the aide-de-camp to the Head of State.

National Institutions

The central bank in the Banco de la Nación.

The national airline is SANTAERO.