El Isleño Nacional :: The National Islander

[The Tikali Islands]

El Isleño Nacional
The National Islander
English Transcript​

"Smiling Phil" Celebrates a Milestone

El Mirador -- Our nation's leader, The Honourable President Felipe Alvarado - or better known by his constituants and outside observers as "Felipe Sonriente", or "Smiling Phil" and sometimes even derogatorily "The Smiling Dictator" - celebrates a successful milestone in power as the Head of State, Government and Forces of the Republic of The Tikali Islands.

The 58-year old man of many words was voted into power by the United Tikalan Coalition as well as the Congressional Council (at the time) and has ever since been working for the better of the islands in good health and spirits. In his time as President, he has seen five different sets of elected district ministers, three different party-affiliated cabinets, has included the Native-Tikali people into the Constitution, has adopted a multicultural approach to immigration, has installed both Tikali and Spanish as the official languages of the nation, has bolstered the country's naval forces but most of all, has become the unofficial spokesperson for tourism in The Tikali Islands. Today, members of the United Tikalan Coalition as well as all District Ministers of The Islands arrived at Congreso asamblea conciliar (The Congressional Council Assembly) to congradulate him and also to wish him well on "...another 20 years to come..." as the Finance Minister Jesus Delgado put it. All in good humor, they suspended a large and nationally-infamous portrait of President Alvarado at the head of the assembly where he once stood poolside wearing his military attire from the waist up, sun glasses, a drink in his hands and a pair of flowery swim trunks from the waist down. And let's not forget, he was smiling.

After today's assembly session, he was paraded across the streets of El Mirador, our nation's capital, where he was warmly greeted and cheered on by Tikalans of all walks of life. But with every regime comes a little criticism, however. The President is often grilled by outside delegation for not bringing Presidential elections to The Tikali Islands and only having the District Ministers elected instead. Every time it is brought up, he simply shrugs it away with his honest opinion and absolutely no trace of arrogance. Despite the pressure to bring total democracy to The Tikali Islands, it seems clear that the populace actually enjoys having him at the helm because he doesn't simply make brash decisions based on his own ego and morality, but instead, with the thoughts and sentiments of a free-thinking people in mind.

An elderly woman in the middle of the downtown parade today said "Many politicans and world leaders around the world could learn from this man." Nobody knows if he will some day retire or remain in charge until his death, but one thing is for certain: We haven't heard the last of his infectious laughter yet.

 

[The Tikali Islands]

El Isleño Nacional
The National Islander
English Transcript
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Live Long and Prosper: The Tikali Approach to Wartime Immigration

El Mirador -- It is no secret that in the world in 1952, war has errupted in the far east and will most-likely be spreading elsewhere across the globe. Every newspaper and radio station in every nation on the planet is currently flooded with two sides of the same story. Men of arms are flexing their military prowess to defend their own ideals; vessels and bombers are sure to destroy numerous territories; and innocent people in the midst of it all will have some serious decision to make. Yes, with an innevitable threat to their personal safety - and for those who live in the far-east especially - the days, months and even years ahead could prove to be a constant battle for survival. But it doesn't have to be. Why not relocate?

The Tikali Islands have taken a different approach to this conflict arising - a third side to the same story, so-to-speak. Ever since the Alvarado Government installed an open-armed and multicultural stance on immigration in 1950, the flow of immigration to the Islands have been creeping up ever since. Immigration Minister Carlos Batista made his pitch across every possible news outlet in the country in hopes of reaching every edge of our world today, "In this time of uncertainty; a time when, for all we know, the map itself could be redrawn drastically, the government and people of the Tikali Islands want to relay the message to all those who seek refuge abroad that we are a safe haven for you. Do you wish to work? We've got jobs. Do you need a home? We've got room. But most importantly - to those who have been thrown into this conflict abroad - do you want a home where your children can go to school without the possibility of having them not come back at the end of the day? Do you want your elder loved ones to have the coverage and care that they desperately need? Well then my friends, The Tikali Islands welcomes you with open arms."

The Tikali Islands prides itself on healthcare. The average life expectency for a Tikalan male is 86 years old while the life expectency for Tikalan women is currently at 88 and closing in to 89 years old. The reason for this has been concluded by healthcare professionals in El Mirador to be because of the warm, humid and clear climate, the lack of big pollutants and because The Tikali Islands is a nation of few cities and many townships. Therefore, the lifestyle in this nation is quite different from anywhere else in the world as far as the government is concerned.

Immigration Minister Batista continued by saying, "The life of an Islander is a life of merit over priviledge. We have a growing tourism industry and we're always looking for more staff on hand with a fair wage to pay. We pray that these conflicts elsewhere will be resolved with the least posible bloodshed, but in the meantime, you as a human being cannot afford to risk your lives and the lives of your loved ones for a war that you never asked for."

[OOC: I normally won't post two news posts on the same day but I just wanted to establish myself with the first and then segway into the direction in which I intend on going with my nation with the second piece.]

 

[The Tikali Islands]

El Isleño Nacional
The National Islander
English Transcript
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Tikalan Government Cracks Down on Organized Crime

Los Fieles -- Los Fieles is a beautiful city. The third largest of The Tikali Islands' cities by size, the second in population, but most of all, number one for casino resort attractions. Tourists from all over the country and the world come to Los Fieles ("City of the Faithful") to see for themselves what the nightlife has to offer in this region. There is but one stain on this pristine picture, however.

Los Fieles has been a hub for organized crime since the pre-revolution days of our nation - namely, 1917 and onward. La Banda Azteca, which has become the most well-oiled and fueled machine as far as crime goes in The Tikali Islands, has proven to be a thorn in the government's side for years. By decree of President Felipe Alvarado, he has made it a top priority of la policía del estado nacional to stamp out organized crime by executing a sweep of raids and infiltration within their compounds. La Banda Azteca is strictly Native-Tikali and anybody wanting to be a part of the crime gang must not have a single trace of Frescanian blood flowing through their veins. They are major producers in illegal drugs (especially cocaine), prostitution and gambling. La Banda Azteca, which is headed by Hotec Tlatoani was served a devastating blow this afternoon in the outskirts of the tourist metropolis. A legion of state police were given the order from El Mirador to infiltrate a drug plantation well-hidden in the Hidalgo Forest where twenty-two local members of The Aztecas were arrested and are currently on their way to El Mirador to stand trial; a trial that the government has already concluded that "... The Aztecas will not prevail."

Though El Jefe ("The Boss") Tlatoani himself was not captured, Miguel Santiago, the Head of la policía del estado nacional is confident that they are getting closer and closer to stamping out the dark hand of organized and immoral crime in Los Fieles and other branches of La Banda Azteca across the nation.

 

[The Tikali Islands]

El Isleño Nacional
The National Islander
English Transcript

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Digging Up The Past: The Excavation of Aztlan's Tomb

Valle del Sol -- When a Tikalan hears the name "Aztlan", they immediately know if whom the person speaks of. To some foreigners on the other hand, Aztlan is simply a word to them and not so much the name of a man, a warrior, a King and a God as our ancestors knew him. In many Native-Tikali communities across this nation espcially, monuments and portraits of the Great Ruler are very common to see. A Great Ruler indeed, but many historians would also say that he was, additional to a leader, but a master of manipulation.

Dr. Rafael del Castillo (63) is one of The Tikali Islands' most renound archaeologists and has said that sometimes he worries himself and his daughter about his obsession with the long-dead ruler of Ancient Tikal. His drive to uncover the secrets of Aztlan have always been his ultimate goals in life and it is that passion that has him going back to Tonatiuh (Valle del Sol) or known in English as "The Valley of The Sun" where the vast ruins of Aztlan's and many other Tikali rulers lived. "What I hope to discover in the center of Ancient Tikal is a tale rather than an artifact." Dr. del Castillo explained, "This is man who litterally slaughtered his way to the top of the food chain, so-to-speak, and established himself as a God amongst men through illusion and a showmanship unmatched by anyone in history - in my opinion. Unfortunately, for the Great Ruler, even he began to believe that he was larger than life and that is what lead to his ultimate demise; and a brutal one at that."

The Great Ruler Aztlan, who's reign lasted two decades in the mid-1400s, is said to have come up with a Codex of Hierarchy in Ancient Tikal which established the differnces between the elite and peasants, and of course, establishing himself as a Supernatural ruler of sorts. The Codex, along with other key artifacts, is what Dr. del Castillo and his team are mainly looking for. But ultimately, The good dctor would also like to find Aztlan's final resting grounds. The government of The Tikali Islands for the first time have allowed foreign archaeologists to assist in the excavation. Dr. Howard Smythe and Dr. Natalya Evelyn Kornikoff from Havenshire; Doctors Tadeusz Szafranski, Kazimierz Sulimirski, and Karol Michalowski of the Mezhist Union; and, a team of twelve Danes lead by Professor Ingulf Sejersen, Head of the School of Archaeology of the Royal University of Skanderborg. When Dr. del Castillo's daughter Isabella was asked about her going with her father to Tonatiuh, she laughed and said "I am very anxious, but I hope that the easterners are ready to be in line. My father is a man who does things his way."

Though the date of the actual excavation has not been given to the media yet, it is speculated that the foreign specialists are to arrive on Tikali soil by the middle of next week. More updates will be brought to you by The National Islander.

 

[Hellixia]

Sounds like things are going well there, wish I had sent some of my own.

 

[The Tikali Islands]

El Isleño Nacional
The National Islander
English Transcript
​

'Tikali Immigration and Refugee Law' To be Implemented
　


El Mirador -- La inmigración Tikala y derecho de los refugiados (The Tikali Immigration and Refugee Law) - which is the brain-child of the absolute President Felipe Alvarado - is to finally be implemented into Law and integrated within the Constitution of the Republic of The Tikali Islands effective Friday October 12, 1952.

The implementation of this law would scrap the former late President Antonio Margarera's 'Head Cost' take on immigration - which demanded that every person wanting to enter The Tikali Islands to come from a certain [higher] economic background and pay an entrance fee. Instead, El Presidente Alvarado's new law would allow different classes of people to enter. The Family Class allows permanent residents or citizens to sponsor a family member's entrance into the country. The Economic Class provides admission to applicants (and their immediate families) who are supposed to be likely to find employment and contribute to the Tikali economy. This is determined by the weighing of factors such as education, language skills, and work experience. Finally, the Refugee Class would accept any person of a different nationality coming from a war zone or impovrished area - but with an extensive background check first.

Immigration Minister Carlos Batista had this to say on the matter; "With the current war-like tensions escalating in the Sarmatian area, the passing of this Law by a unanimous Congressional Council Assembly could not have come at a better time. Our President, the entire United Tikalan Front as well as the majority of District Ministers agree that this could not only benefit those seeking refuge from abroad, but also benefit the economic growth of The Tikali Islands. If need be, they will be taught the language of the land and given the equal opportunities that every human being deserves."

Though the majority of the Tikalan population like the idea that our leader has set in place, others (predominantly Native-Tikalis who choose to remain in their more isolated villages) are worried that this new multicultural approach to immigration is simply a ploy to further chase the Native Peoples to even farther extremities of the Islands. Minister Batista, to the government's defence, claims that Alavardo Government has only worked harder to include the Native Peoples and not segregate them.

But with the majority of the masses behind him, President Alavardo hopes that this move will have the world notice The Tikali Islands to not only be known for their festivals, Frescanian-and-Native integrative culture and healthcrae, but to also be known as being the first nation to adopt Multiculturalism within their Constitution.

 

[The Tikali Islands]

El Isleño Nacional
The National Islander
English Transcript

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Touching-Base with The President on World Events, The Navy and New Immigration Policies
With: Maria Carera

The following is a transcript of brief snippets from a recent discussion that I had the priveledge to have with El President, Felipe Alvarado. The entire sit-down was broadcasted over Tikali radio stations all across the nation yesterday and is brought to you by The National Islander.

Given the nature of the current escalating tensions across Europe; how do we, as a free peoples, know that we are in fact protected from aggressive forces coming from abroad?

"Well, look, it is in my opinion that we are currently living in a bi-polar world. What I mean by that term is that governments all across Europe are either to the right or to the left. This makes it quite difficult for the few of us who find ourselves in the middle of the spectrum to make any sort of agreement with one side without angering the other. Now, fortunately for us, we are not particularly disliked by any outside force at this moment in time. But eventually - if this escalates to become a full-fledged war - we may be called upon to pick a side and we may even be backed into a corner to do so. We are a nation currently with a little over 13 million people. We live very modestly and peacfully as best as we can as a true Islander would. One thing we cannot allow to happen to us, however, is become underestimated. Being a nation comprised of several islands, we do have some special ground forces and a navy - a very good Navy at that. Because of these escalating tensions, our Navy is currently and always on standby because we, in reality, don't know what may come our way. To answer your question; we are protected by our forces at this moment - I have made sure of that the day that the Raigestan conflict arose. Furthermore, because of our current amicable reputation as a nation-state, I do not think that we need to be anything more than simply vigilant."

You are often praised for the forward-thinking policies that you have installed within our Constitution in your 20 years of being Commander-in-Chief; what brought about the new 'Tikali Immigration and Refugee Act'?

"The new policy which my government has set into place is to erase the mistakes of the past where we would basically hold somebody wanting to immigrate to The Tikali Islands hostage. Before this act, one would've had to pay 300 dineros per person in order to enter the nation. As much as the late President Margarera's policies were helpful to set the stepping-stone for what we have today; now that we are more economically-stable as a nation, it would be wrong of us to continue on with this Head Cost mentality. Immigrants - or "New Tikalans", as I prefer to call them - are a resource that can prove to be quite prosperous for us and for themsleves. In the end, we would be gaining back what we've thrown away with the Head Cost and gaianing even more towards our job market. Not to mention that, in this time of war, many will need to come somewhere safe to live, work and raise their families. That is why we included the Refugee Status within this Act."

How do you think born-Tikalans will take to this new open-armed policy towards immigrants?

"You must remember that we went from being a country run by outside colonists in Frescania, to an independent ethnist nation, to an assimilationist nation and now, a multicultural nation in the making. I know as well as anybody that we will need to adjust to the coming wave of new-Tikalans. However, we have been getting a lot of positive feedback from a good majority of Tikalan people. Others are a little less enthusiastic, but they are simply unsure or maybe even scared. To tell you the truth, we are all scared. But you have to keep in mind that this move will not only be better for us as a society, but better for our economy and our mark on the world stage."

more on this discussion we re-air again across all radio broadcasting systems in The Tikali Islands...

 

[The Federation]

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
UNITED REPUBLIC OF SYLVANIA





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The United Republic hopes that the people of Tikali would resist any calls from warring factions for support in wars that are not theirs to fight. To do so would be to make your nation and people slaves to the will of global powers that have no right to force Tikali into choosing their side. It is the opinion of the Sylvanian Government that Tikali should remain neutral and preserve the lives of its sons and daughters rather than throw them at the sword of a manufactured enemy.


Autumn Viklund,
Director of Foreign Affairs
United Republic of Sylvania

 

[The Tikali Islands]

Minister of Foreign Relations
Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores

We understand and appreciate Sylvania's concern for The Tikali Islands and we will be remaining neutral in this conflict that we see to only have a devestating outcome for both sides. However, we will continue to keep our Navy prepared for the possibility - as unlikely as it may be - of invasive forces that may cross our waters. We will not be swayed to join any side of this conflict but will continue to focus on our own national security. With that stated, we wish The United Republic peace and prosperity.

Fidel Rodriguez
Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores

 

[The Tikali Islands]

El Isleño Nacional
The National Islander
English Transcript​

Miners' Union Accept Extramineria's Wage Offer

El Mirador -- Board members of The Tikali Islands' Federation of Miners (Federación de mineros or FM) have unanimously accepted a sweetened wage offer put forward by The Tikali Islands' state-led mining giant Extraminería. The decision means a miner workers' strike, scheduled to start on October 20th, may be averted.

In a statement released late Monday, October 15th, the FM said the improved offer would see workers earn a real gain of between 2.16 percent and 2.77 percent, once inflation was taken in account. The FM will now recommend its constituent unions to accept the improved Extramineria's offer, the federation statement said. Unions are meeting this week to assess the proposal. The deal also includes payment for miners who carry out shift work on a national holiday.

Other stories making headlines:

- El Presidente Felipe Alvarado is set to host a summit with delegates from Frescania in the near-future in order to boost post-colonial ties between our two nations. El Presidente wants to bring the economy and a defense pact to the table.

- Though still months away; The Disctrictorial Elections are gaining attention as some of the current District Ministers in Native-Tikali dominated areas are losing support from their constituants.

- Outside archaeologists and archaeology students are set to arrive in El Mirador later this week where they will meet their Tikali counterparts before departing for Valle del Sol to dig-up the past of Aztlan, the misunderstood ruler of Ancient Tikal.

- Since the Immigration and Refugee Act Law was officially implemented on October 12th, The Tikali Islands can now confirm that a fleet carrying mostly Himyari immigrants are on their way to begin a new life in our nation.

- El Jefe "The Boss" Hotec Tlatoani, the reputed head of La Banda Azteca - The Tikali Island's largest (if not only) remaining organized crime rings has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to committ murder, racketeering, illegal gambling and extortion. Other charges are also set to emerge.

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