African Entrepreneurship Records 2

Chapter 1624 The Heart of South America
The emergence of this phenomenon and trend also confirms the expansion of East Africa's influence in South America in recent years, just as many countries and cities used to like to use "Paris of a certain kind", "Venice of a certain kind", "Vienna of a certain kind".

A prime example is Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, which is known as the "Paris of South America." In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Argentina's wealthy class greatly admired French culture, building numerous Parisian-style buildings, wide boulevards, and magnificent palaces, and its cultural atmosphere was very Europeanized.

Of course, Asunción's uniqueness also has profound historical reasons. The Paraguayan War of the last century dealt a devastating blow to the culture, institutions, and social patterns of Asunción and Paraguay as a whole.

The population of Paraguay plummeted, with fewer than 30,000 men left in the country. The Paraguayan soldiers who died in the war included elites from all walks of life in Paraguay. Paraguay's history, traditional skills, folk music, dance and local knowledge were lost as a result, and the social structure was destroyed from its very foundation.

At this time, the emergence of East Africa helped Paraguay rebuild its nation, bringing East African social culture, lifestyle, dietary habits, economic organization models, and so on to Paraguay. Therefore, Paraguay naturally exhibits a high degree of "East Africanization".

Today, most of Paraguay's top government and social talents have studied in East Africa. It can be said that, apart from the "imperial system" and the language, Paraguay is a miniature version of East Africa.

In fact, Paraguayan languages ​​have been greatly influenced by East Africa, and today German is the most important language in Paraguay besides Spanish and Guarani.

Four languages ​​are spoken in Paraguay today: Spanish, Guarani, German, and Italian.

Spanish needs no introduction, but Guarani is an important language of the indigenous people of Paraguay and rose to prominence rapidly after the Paraguayan War.

German originated from immigration and economic trade. Although the German-speaking population in Paraguay is not large, it is a dominant language because learning German means more opportunities.

Italian was mainly brought to Paraguay by Italian immigrants. Paraguay has a large Italian immigrant population, but like the Italian community in the United States, they don't have much of a voice in Paraguay. As a result, Italian is declining in Paraguay.

As a Uruguayan who does international business, Baltasar speaks three languages: Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

Spanish is the dominant language in Uruguay, while Portuguese is the second most important language due to its border with Brazil.

As for Baltasar's German, he wasn't very fluent; he only started learning it in recent years.

The reason is simple: German represents business opportunities. Even without considering the influence of East Africa, Germany's large-scale investment in South America in recent years has greatly enhanced the status of German in South American commerce and trade.

The intellectual and cultural output of East Africa and Germany, two global superpowers, in South America has completely propelled German to surpass English and French as the most influential foreign language in the region.

Of course, English still holds considerable influence as a foreign language in South America, given that the United States and the United Kingdom, among other English-speaking countries, are no less powerful.

Bloom then said, “Father, I believe that Uruguay’s development will not be worse than Paraguay’s in the future. After all, we are now doing business with East Africa. Although Paraguay has the advantage of the Asunción-Lima railway, Montevideo’s port advantage is something that Asunción does not have.”

Baltasar shook his head and said, "You can't think like that. Unless Argentina cuts off the Río de la Plata waterway, Asunción's upper limit is definitely higher than Montevideo's."

"Now, Asunción is not only backed by Paraguay, but also by goods and minerals from Bolivia, Brazil, Peru and Chile."

“Uruguay itself is not a large country, and its external connections are not high. Montevideo mainly serves the Uruguayan domestic market, and the transshipment goods are mainly agricultural products with very low profits.”

"Asunción, on the other hand, can take advantage of its geographical location to develop its own industry, even if it is just primary product processing, which is more profitable than our industry that relies entirely on livestock and grain exports."

Asunción is not simply an inland city, but a comprehensive hub integrating rail, inland waterway, sea and road transport.

Asunción is the starting point of the Asunción-Lima railway, a major artery of South American railways. Once the Chilean railway is connected, Asunción will be able to directly connect with Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile by rail.

The Asunción-Lima railway is called the main artery of South American railways because it is currently the only truly transoceanic railway in South America, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Of course, if continuity is not a concern, there are railway lines that can connect the two sides of South America, such as the Andean Railway between Argentina and Chile. However, passengers and goods must change trains along the way.

The Asunción-Lima railway, led by East Africa, has standardized procedures and seamless management, so trains from Asunción to Lima can reach their final destination in one trip.

In addition to this major railway artery, Asunción now plans to build more railway lines with Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, enhancing its status as an international railway hub.

In fact, Asunción has an existing railway line connecting it to Argentina’s railway network. A section of this railway, namely the Asunción-Barragari section, is actually one of the earliest railways built in South America, completed in 1861.

In addition, Asunción used to have a railway connecting the interior, but it used to be meter gauge. Now, Paraguay's railway gauge has been basically standardized, and it is being built or modified according to East African standards.

This has resulted in Paraguay's railways having completely different track gauges from those of neighboring countries, except for the Asunción-Lima railway.

However, it is foreseeable that Bolivia will eventually align its railway standards with Paraguay's, given that Bolivia is currently also controlled by East Africa.

Baltasar said, "The railway hub in Asunción is already taking shape and can connect countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile. In the future, it may also connect Uruguay and Brazil."

"In this way, Asunción effectively became the heart of South American rail transport."

"The Asunción-Lima railway alone will have an immeasurable impact on Asunción. Keep in mind that this railway has just been completed and has not yet begun to exert its influence. Asunción's economy will likely maintain high-speed growth for a long time thanks to this railway."

Although the Asunción-Lima railway has been completed, its economic value has not yet been effectively developed, and it is still in its initial stage. After all, a new commercial route also needs time to be promoted.

Therefore, in the next few years, the passenger and freight volume of the Asunción-Lima railway should show a steady upward trend and eventually become a stable and mature commercial route.

Baltasar continued, "Of course, I wouldn't be so optimistic about Asunción if it were just about railways; the water transport sector is equally important for Asunción's future development."

"Asunción is an important port city on the Río de la Plata, and goods from the upper reaches of the Paraná River, including those from Brazil and Paraguay, converge here." "Not to mention, the Paraná River connects Argentina and Uruguay, making it an international river. Therefore, Asunción's advantages in inland waterway transportation will be combined with its advantages as a railway hub."

"As a result, Paraguay has become the core transportation hub of the entire southern South American country, radiating to Paraguay itself, as well as countries in the region including Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile."

"At the same time, Asunción can also access the sea via the Río de la Plata and trade with overseas countries."

"Therefore, Asunción is not simply an inland city; it can be seen as a special coastal city. Finally, combined with Paraguay's road network, Asunción's position in the transportation sector is among the best in all of South America, and there is no substitute for it."

In fact, Asunción's future transportation may not be limited to this, after all, there is also aviation, which Baltasar did not consider, and Asunción will probably become an important aviation hub in South America in the future.

As a result, Asunción has no weaknesses in the transportation sector and can be called the "Heart of South America".

Baltasar said, "If you calculate it this way, Montevideo, Uruguay, has absolutely no advantage over Asunción except for its maritime advantage."

"Unfortunately, the government did not seize the opportunity at the time. If it had fully turned to East Africa, Montevideo might have replaced Asunción as the heart of South American transportation."

Bloom also expressed his regret, saying, "It just goes to show that things are unpredictable. Paraguay had no other choice back then, so aligning with East Africa was the only option for Paraguay."

"At that time, Uruguay may have hesitated because of the attitude of countries such as Britain. But who could have imagined that a war would directly lead to the complete shrinkage of Britain's power in South America and its being surpassed by East Africa."

"Now Argentina and Brazil are also half-dead due to the economic crisis and are unable to compete with powerful countries outside the region like East Africa."

For Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil have a very strong influence on its diplomacy and politics, so when Argentina and Brazil's economies are doing well, the Uruguayan government values ​​the attitudes of both countries.

Argentina, in particular, was quite powerful before the economic crisis. As the richest country in South America, it dared to challenge countries like East Africa, Britain, and the United States, and considered itself the leader of South America.

Now, Argentina has completely lost its former arrogance and can only be tough on the surface, while actually adopting a policy of avoidance in the face of East African expansion in South America.

For example, Paraguay and Uruguay have now completely aligned themselves with East Africa, while Argentina itself has to maintain the smooth flow of navigation on the Río de la Plata due to East Africa's attitude.

Baltasar said, "Argentina and Brazil can only dominate in South America, but when they face the powerful countries of Europe, America and East Africa, their strength is simply not on the same level."

"Let alone East Africa, the United States, Britain, and Germany, even when facing France and Italy, they can't stand up for themselves."

"In the future, East Africa's influence in South America will continue to expand. Only by keeping up with East Africa's pace can we ensure a smooth economic and political landing."

"Although Uruguay is certainly not as important as Paraguay in the eyes of East Africa, for Uruguay, the opportunities outweigh the risks. The real headaches are Argentina and Brazil."

As Baltasar predicted, East Africa is unlikely to genuinely help countries like Argentina and Brazil achieve economic development.

Because both countries have the foundation to become world powers, if a South American hegemon is truly cultivated, then East Africa will have nowhere to turn for help.

If Argentina and Brazil rise to power, it could not only harm East Africa's interests in South America, but also threaten its interests throughout the South Atlantic.

Countries of Uruguay and Paraguay, being of a size that East Africa can be reassured about, are at most regional powers and will not negatively impact East Africa's global strategy.

At the same time, it is easier to do things that are supported by the state, since their population is not large, so a few industries are enough to satisfy their appetite.

Paraguay, in particular, is geographically advantageous to East Africa’s intervention in South American affairs, and its geopolitical environment is also very favorable to East Africa’s control over Paraguay.

Paraguay has historical grievances with Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia, which means that Paraguay needs East Africa's commitment to its security even more.

Moreover, Paraguay is not like Israel in its past. Although it has historical grievances with its neighbors, the conflicts between them are far from being irreconcilable. Therefore, the risks of East Africa using Paraguay as a pawn are manageable. This means that Paraguay will not make enemies on all sides like Israel, thus dragging East Africa down with it.

In its previous life, the United States was probably very troubled by Israel's ability to "cause trouble," after all, Israel disrupted the "unity" among the United States' "allies" and constantly brought trouble to the United States, while the United States could not abandon Israel.

Paraguay is essentially a disposable pawn for East Africa. Israel is America's father, and Paraguay, to put it bluntly, is like a "dog" kept by East Africa.

Of course, East Africa still showed Paraguay a certain degree of respect in terms of its status and did not completely adopt the attitude of a "host".

Therefore, although the relationship between East Africa and Paraguay is similar to that between the United States and Japan and South Korea in the past, Paraguay is obviously in a much higher position than Japan and South Korea. Japan and South Korea are the real domestic dogs of the United States.

The United States would actively order and allow Japan and South Korea to bark at other people's doorsteps, while East Africa, under normal circumstances, would not instruct Paraguay to provoke its neighbors such as Argentina and Brazil.

Unless Argentina and Brazil provoke or threaten East Africa's core interests, East Africa doesn't even want to pay attention to these two countries.

This is also a true reflection of the diplomacy between East Africa and Argentina and Brazil in recent years. East Africa does not resort to extreme means such as political blackmail and military intimidation to force Argentina and Brazil to fully open their markets to East Africa or to interfere in their domestic politics without cause.

However, neither country can oppose or obstruct East Africa's series of political, diplomatic, economic, trade, and military activities in other South American countries.

In reality, the fact that East Africa doesn't cause trouble for these two countries doesn't mean they are safe and sound, after all, East Africa is not the only imperialist country in the world.

(End of this chapter)