The Seventh Party System: Part XXV
Part I - Metropotamia
Part II - Alta California
Part III - North Carolina
Part IV - New Jersey
Part V - Adams
Part VI - Alabama
Part VII - Rhode Island
Part VIII - Sequoyah
Part IX - Assenisipia
Part X - East Florida
Part XI - Tennessee
Part XII - Kansas
Part XIII - Dakota
Part XIV - Arizona
Part XV - Delaware
Part XVI - Oregon
Part XVII - Ozark
Part XVIII - New Hampshire
Part XIX - Western Connecticut
Part XX - New York
Part XXI - Santo Domingo
Part XXII - South Carolina
Part XXIII - Baja California
Part XXIV - Chersonesus
The Canal Zone territory was the first of five territories which were given self governance, gaining its own legislature in 1954 in order to ward off any brewing communist rebellions. However in the case of this territory following the successful overthrow of the Somoza monarchy by communist revolutionaries in 1981 a rebellion was inevitable.
The territory was first established in 1904 when Nicaragua refused to sell the lands necessary for the US to build a canal. And after 9 long years which saw thousands of Nicaraguan POWs die as they were forced to dig the canal the greatest engineering marvel the world had ever seen was finally completed. However in order to protect the canal the two neighboring countries of Nicaragua and Costa Rica had to be put firmly under the American sphere of influence. While Costa Rica initially resented this influence, leading to four Costa Rican revolts in as many decades, they grew to welcome this protection after the success of communist revolutionaries in 1952 turned Gran Colombia into a belligerent communist nation on its southern border. The story in Nicaragua, however, would be much different.
In 1933, during the height of the First Great Depression the Nicaraguan people went through a revanchist phase as they thought their issues of poverty could be solved if the US let them have part of the profits from the Nicaraguan Canal. When the US refused, saying that they rightfully conquered the land during the 3rd Banana War, the people of Nicaragua declared war on the US, swarming the territory with arms alleged supplied by the Empire of Japan. However the tide of battle soon turned as US reinforcements from Santo Domingo and Baja California invaded the nation of Nicaragua on both coasts leading to a swift end of the 18th Banana War. Following the end of this Banana War the US decided that they were done with continuing the facade of democracy in Nicaragua, letting Tacho Somoza, son of a wealthy Nicaraguan planter, declare a monarchy.
Under the rule of the Somoza dynasty the Nicaragua continued to suffer as its resources were looted by American companies and its people routinely imprisoned for rebellious sentiment. International historians estimate that over the course of 48 years the Somoza dynasty lead to the deaths of over 280,000 Nicaraguans and even official American sources acknowledge how the Great Purge of "suspected fascist sympathizers" during the 1940s caused the deaths of over 45,000. As such, when a succession crises arose between Lilita Somoza, Tacho's daughter, and Rene Somoza, Tacho's illegitimate son, democratic rebels took advantage of the chaos to seize the capital and murder both Somozas, leading to the proclamation of the Free Republic of Nicaragua. While the coup was initially condemned by most international powers, the subsequent elections were found to be free and democratic, and the republic enjoyed the protection of the European Union, who the US accused of funding the democratic rebels.
However in the Canal Zone more radical rebels, under the name of the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion, saw this as their moment to strike and bombed several US bases in Bluefields. While the US military attempted to flush out the rebels just like they had the Cagoulards in Santo Domingo, the FSL simply retreated across the border into Nicaragua, a democratic nation under the protection of the European Union. As a result, the US could only attack FSL members located in the territory itself, and the misidentifying of innocent peasants for rebels lead to the deaths of thousands. While the US urged the EU to pressure Nicaragua into eradicating the Sandinistas, the EU refused to do, urging the US to follow their example of entering into detente with Gran Colombia and its communist satellites.
But the US, being as anti-communist as ever, continued to refuse to enter into negotiations with the FSL rebels until the Republicans came into power in 2004. Having campaigned on a platform of peace in the Middle East, they knew that continuing the fight against the FSL would seem hypocritical of them, so they reached the Good Sunday agreement with the rebels, agreeing to let them function as a political party in the Canal Zone territory in return for a cessation of hostilities.
Nevertheless, the majority of politics was still dominated by the left of center National Union party as is the case in most territories. However following the deaths of 19 innocent protesters who were "accidentally" run over by a tank outside the US army base in Bluefields the FSL saw a surge in support with a majority of Mestizos supporting the FSL for the first time in history. Combined with support from the Partido Civico and Ecological Native Alliance this lead to the first non-National Union party government in Canal Zone history. Being the only organized territory with a non-National Union government besides Bioko, the Canal Zone has just entered into unknown territory.
Also worthy of note is the existence of the Canal Zone's tricameral legislature, consisting of a proportional house, a racial senate, and a semi-elected council which represents various special interest groups. Originally present in 4 out of the 5 organized territories after Seward and Bioko abolished their houses and the Virgin Islands abolished their senate the Canal Zone is the only remaining territory with a tricameral legislature. While control of the governor's manor requires two of the three houses mainly specific issues are required to be passed by their specific body of the legislature. For instance budget issues must always pass the House, racial equality measures must pass the Senate, and any bills which relate to national security or native reservations must pass the Council. As such, while the FSL makes no effort to express their disdain of the US military their plans to reduce the number troops present in the territories will have to wait.
Government:
Frente Sandinista de Liberacion - Originally a ragtag group of communist insurgents they have transformed themselves into a peaceful socialist party, while still officially espousing the gospel of Marxism-Leninism-Guevarism. Finding most of their popular support among Mestizo Nicaraguan their recent surge in support saw them even win a Negro seat in the Senate. With a communist governor now sitting in Bluefields the National Congress has become divided among those who believe that self government for the territories should be revoked entirely, those who wish to ban the FSL again, and those who think that breaking the Good Sunday agreement might not be a good idea as it would inevitably lead to open war in the Canal Zone once again.
Partido Civico - A center left party for Afro-Nicaraguans they are often forgotten and left behind by society and despite not agreeing with the FSL on many issues still decided to vote them into government over the corrupt National Unionists.
Ecological Native Alliance - The party of non-Miskito natives who are often screwed over by the National Union building on their tribal lands, they also have disagreements with the FSL's dreams of a communist canal but decided that they were better than keeping the status quo.
Opposition:
National Union - A left of center, laborist, and anti-communist party formed by FDR in 1932 the National Union party continued to survive and thrive in the territories even after the parties demise elsewhere. Officially running in the National Congress as the "Reformed National Union party" it is for all intents and purposes still the same party with the same left wing economics and right wing social policies. In the territory of Canal Zone specifically they enjoy the most support among whites and zambos, with the zambos being almost entirely descendants of the Miskito tribe and African maroons. With the Miskito tribe being the only tribe to have been rewarded financially for the selling of their lands to the Canal, most of its members and descendants continue to enjoy middle class status in the territory that is otherwise full of poverty. And while the National Union party is going into panic mode over losing the governorship, the fact that they still control one of the three legislative houses gives them a good position to retake government if the FSL government loses its supply partners.
Missionary - The Missionary party is the only right wing party which exists in the territory and was originally founded to represent the interests of devout Christian missionaries. Over time they have become a marginalized group and now enjoy little support outside of some devout whites in Bluefields.
