San Esperito

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San Esperito
Flag.
Nation in Just Cause
Official government type	de jure: Republic de facto: Dictatorship
Economic model	Capitalism
Formal title of the head of state	El Presidente Del San Esperito (usually just El Presidente)
Known heads of state	Past: Hernan Augusto Latest: Salvador Mendoza
Administrative units	35 provinces
Location in the world	Caribbean
Area (sea included)	1025 km2 (395.7547 mi2)
Climate zones	Tropical
Top 3 industries	Oil (EL gas) Drug plantations Agriculture and fishing
Currency	Unknown
Population	Unknown
Allies and partners	Montano Cartel Black Hand
Opposition	Ejértico Revolucionario de Liberación Rioja Cartel United States (The Agency)

The Republic of San Esperito is the fictional nation in the Caribbean at which the game Just Cause (1) takes place.

Map of San Esperito.

Politics and Administration

Previous government

San Esperito was previously a republic with a parliament. The previous president was Hernan Augusto.

Current government

As of the beginning of the game storyline, San Esperito is governed with an iron fist by the military dictator Salvador Mendoza, who seized power illegally.

Quote from the game manual:

"Last weeks violent uprising in the capital of San Esperito heralded the start of a coup, with the Parliament building stormed by military forces. Turmoil and chaos spread into the streets with gunfire ringing in the air as the sun set over a weekend of violence and confusion on the island. The dethroned president Hernan Augusto is still in hiding and currently unavailable for comment.

The leader of the uprising and new order is General Salvador Mendoza.

In a dispatch to the press, the new government claimed to have, "freed the nation from a pack of vultures feeding off the corpse of the national constitution."

Since becoming president, General Salvador Mendoza has hired in "foreign security specialists" to subdue any possible uprisings in the unstable regions surrounding the nation's capital. All week there has been unrest, with demonstrations throughout the island. When asked weather the security specialists are actually mercenaries, the President scoffed at the reporter and answered "I will not idly stand by and watch as parasitic, motherless dogs pillage my country. I will use whatever means necessary. Petty name-calling and blind moral issues are luxuries I cannot afford as the father of a nation!"

Under the watchful eye of President Mendoza, Jose Caramicas, the Leader of The People's Revolutionary Army, was controversially sentenced yesterday. Caramicas' sister, Esperanza, the only family member present in court broke down and wept uncontrollably. She later called for a fair hearing for her brother who she believes is the victim of a political conspiracy. She believes that his life may be in danger in the Government's El Grande Fort penal institution.

She has applied to the United States of America to intervene in this matter and it is rumored that US Intelligence agencies are monitoring the situation closely.

President Mendoza defended the verdict, saying 'The sentence of this terrorist will bring an end to rebel violence! Let this be a lesson to anyone else wishing to disrupt the harmony of this good nation.

Jose Caramicas, a popular hero in many provinces, will be escorted to the El Grande Fort later this morning under armed guard."

Mendoza's government is in an alliance with the Montano Cartel. Oddly however, they fight every time a "road AI" encounter each other. Normally they are killed by machine gun fire from a helicopter.

The San Esperito government is opposed by the Ejertico Revolucionario de Liberación (The People's Revolutionary Army of San Esperito), led by José Caramicas. They wear camouflage and green clothing.

United States influence over the current government is currently manifested through The Agency.

Future Government

What happened to San Esperito's government after the events of Just Cause and its the relationship with the United States remain ambiguous.

Since the Guerillas would presumably take over the whole country, they are likely to establish a left wing government and maintain their alliance with the Rioja Cartel. Alternatively, the death of Mendoza and collapse of his regime may allow Hernan Augusto to be reinstated.

Administration, law and order

The nation is divided into 35 provinces, with its capital city being Esperito City. There are two cities, six towns, and numerous villages.

Government controlled forces (the police and occasionally the San Esperito Military), will mercilessly hunt the player down for even a minor infraction, which increases the wanted level - heat. There are five heat levels, with each bringing more forces. If the player commits too much crime, the heat level will increase and the police and eventually the Black Hand (in later storyline missions) will deploy heavier weapons and superior vehicles. However, in Guerrilla stable provinces, few police and military vehicles spawn because the province changed to guerrilla stable from government stable.

See also:

• The bottom of the article has a template with links to locations in San Esperito.
• San Esperito Police Department also known as the "Policía".
  • SWAT, or riot police - A sub-division of the San Esperito Police Department.
• San Esperito Military.

International relations

Salvador Mendoza opposes the United States of America. According to the game manual, he made that clear during his speech at the United Nations, when he complained that the United States supports the Guerrillas.

San Esperito hosts an annual international arms fair. In 2005 it was held at the Mendoza International Airport.

Geography and Climate

San Esperito is located at 18° north and 59° west (the coordinates appear on the Extraction map, where they are reversed and mistakenly lead to the North Sea).

San Esperito is a tropical island-nation, composed of several islands. All islands are covered with mountains and jungles, with over 10 million trees. There's even a large volcano. The volcano is inactive and has a whore house (El Volcan) built inside the crater. The Caballeros military base is located inside the crater of a possible second volcano. This Provincia Caballeros volcano is not shaped so much like a cone and is smaller.

The weather is usually sunny. It does rain sometimes, but there are never any actual storms that would have an effect on aircraft. It was previously the largest area explorable in a sandbox game. According to this site, San Esperito was originally planed to be about 64 x 64 km (10846 square miles), which would have been a little over 4 times bigger.

See also: Just Cause Locations; Maps and Game limits.

Media

• Several television broadcast towers and one known TV channel.
• One radio broadcast station, presumably of an AM broadcasting type.
• National newspaper: Gaceta Nacional del San Esperito.
• Newspaper: "San Esperito Vanguardia" - This is the game manual, which is written like a newspaper. It's considered non-canon, as it breaks the fourth wall a lot and mentions a different currency.
• Local businesses advertise themselves with posters on the walls of Esperito City and Nuevo Estocolmo buildings and bus stops.

Transportation

There are many different ways to get around the island, such as boats, planes, cars and helicopters. Walking is also an option, but considering the size of the nation, it will hardly get you anywhere.

See also: Just Cause Vehicles.

Roads

The main means of transportation are cars. The nation is entirely covered with a system of roads. There's a lot of bridges, that span over rivers and cliffs between mountains, but unfortunately there are some islands that can't be accessed by road.

• The biggest, "main roads", have 4 lanes and can allow someone to travel at a constant maximum speed, even with the fastest sports cars. This is good if you want to go fast.
• The next most important roads are paved 2 lane roads.
• And finally there are unpaved dirt roads. These make up about 50% of the roads. You should not be speeding on these roads, as the traffic and sharp turns in forests make it dangerous.

Railroads

Main article: Trains and railroads.

Railroads exist in only 2 parts of the nation and both are reserved for only military transport. This happens very rarely, during 2 storyline missions: River of Blood and Guadalicano Choo Choo.

Aircraft

The nation has many small, unnamed civilian airfields near towns and villages. Most of them provide only a small plane without any mounted weapons. The nation has only one international airport, the Mendoza International Airport. Armed aircraft can only be found in military airports, which are located in Military bases in San Esperito.

No matter where you are, there's always about 1 to 3 helicopters in the sky and the occasional private airplane. Large cargo planes (Alexander AX-14) can also be seen in some rare areas.

An aircraft is the best means of travel, if you're in a hurry.

Waterways

All the waterways in San Esperito have constant boat traffic. Trawlers; recreational speed-boats; occasional law enforcement and even large Tankers can be found here.

History and culture

The oldest known settlement is an Aztec-style temple complex hidden in the jungle. The civilians there mention some "ancient ones" and say that it's possible to lose ones mind to them.

As a typical Caribbean nation, it was once occupied and settled by Spain . The nation has two about 200 to 300 year old Spanish fortresses - the El Grande Fort (now used as a prison) and the San Esperito Military owned fortress on Isla San Cristobal. The age of the fortresses is indicated by their weapon positions in the wall, which seem to fit the cannons from about 1700 to 1800. Several villages have old presumably Catholic churches that have bell towers and angel statues.

In modern time, the national language, as spoken by everyone is English, but most location names are still in Spanish. The national newspaper, Gaceta Nacional del San Esperito, has a Spanish name and even the official title of the president - "El Presidente Del San Esperito" - is in Spanish. All known local people have Spanish names.

Most posters on the streets are political propaganda, either supporting Salvador Mendoza, or his nemesis José Caramicas / Guerrillas, but there are also advertisement posters that shed some light onto the latest cultural events, tho the small print is unreadably small:

Posters at Nuevo Estocolmo. Notice the San Esperito Military sniper walking up there.

• "Circus Juego" - A circus that features an elephant that can stand on its rear legs.
• "Festival de la danca" - Some kind of a dance festival that presumably takes place at "casa de la dance".
• "TORO orden del toro sagrado" - Some kind of a bullfight.
• "Tres Hombres" - A band of 3 guys. One plays either a cello, or a double bass, one guy sings and one wields a guitar.
• "La Sombra!" - Something to do with Lucha libre.

Cuisine

Main article: San Esperitian cuisine.

Communication

None of the vehicles in San Esperito have radios, but there are tens of large radio masts throughout the nation, that provide radio telecommunication. The only known radio station is just north-west of Nuevo Estocolmo.

There are 3 different kinds of radio transmitter masts.

• The most common masts are made out of red and white components and are held up by 3 cables. These masts can be seen at several military bases and villages. Some can even be seen at random locations on mountains. You should be extra careful around these masts, as they can collapse if they're damaged. And they stay collapsed, even after saving the game. Low-flying helicopters can sometimes be seen crashing into them and making them collapse. Despite popular belief, it is actually possible to complete all missions and sidemissions without having any of them to collapse.
• The next most common type of radio masts are shaped like high-voltage power lines and are exclusive to military bases. They can't be found in all military bases though.
• And the least common and smallest radio masts are shaped like upper case letter "E"s, rotated 90° clockwise. They can be seen at some military airfields and military bases.

Economy and natural resources

According to general Jose Durango, the most fundamental problem faced by young people today is unemployment. He invites them to join the San Esperito Military. One ultra-nationalist jungle tribe (at the Hidden temple at Isla Maria Dolorosa) accuses foreigners of having stolen their land.

Money

During the two weeks Salvador Mendoza ruled San Esperito, he had already printed and circulated a new currency, with his picture on every bill.

In the mission Streets of Fire.

Agriculture and fishing

Most people who live in rural areas (villages) make a living by farming and fishing. Some rural areas have windmills. See also: San Esperitian cuisine.

A factory.

Drug cartels

The drug cartels are among the most powerful private companies in the nation, being rivaled only by the EL gas oil company. They own and operate drug plantations a.k.a. Villas. San Esperito has two competing drug cartels.

• The Montano Cartel are a large drug manufacturing community. Growing and exporting cocaine is their profit, and their gang color is purple. Like the police, they have their own Heat level and if the player kills too many cartel personnel, the heat level will increase. The Montano will then increase their presence in the area and use heavier weaponry.
• The Rioja Cartel are direct enemies to the Montanos. Rico works for them in the story missions as well as in side missions. They also manufacture drugs, and are willing to do anything to destroy the Montano business. Their gang colors are black and yellow.

Factories

There are several identical factories in several locations. At least one of those has some kind of a pipeline leading to/away from it. This could mean that it is an EL gas oil refinery.

A Tanker ship at one of the oil platforms.

Oil

There are several oil platforms around the islands and oil wells in several areas. The San Esperito oil company, EL gas is doing an excellent job at making the best gas in the world.

Tourism

Tourism, including the possibility of internal tourism, is believed to be a major part of the economy. The countryside has lots of motels, all belonging to the same company, estrella MOTEL.

Energy

Fossil based fuel

According to statements made in the mission "I've Got the Power", most of the nation's electricity is supplied by the San Pedro power plant, located on Isla San Cristobal. San Pedro appears to be a fossil-fuel power station. There's also a nuclear fission type nuclear reactor on that island, but it serves military purposes.

Wind turbines, south of the city Nuevo Estocolmo (visible in the distance).

Wind

Main article: Wind Turbine.

There's many wind turbines throughout the nation, some in the sea and some on land.

Nuclear fission

Main article: Isla San Cristobal nuclear reactor.

The nation has one small nuclear power station, but it's believed to be serving military purposes.

Military

Main article: San Esperito Military.

The armed forces are often deployed in crime fighting, whenever the police is not adequate. They use very dangerous vehicles such as well armed armored cars and heavily armed helicopters.

The nation owns all types of weapons: armored vehicles; attack helicopters; fighter planes; ships; Submarines and even nuclear missiles.

San Esperito has a lot of military bases, distributed all over the nation. For more details, see: Military bases in San Esperito.

Ironically for an anti-American nation, a lot of the helicopters they employ are based on U.S. attack helicopters in real-life.

For more military details, see:

• Category: Military Vehicles
• Category: Just Cause Vehicles
• Category: Unusable Weapons
• Category: Just Cause Weapons

Trivia

• The flag resembles that of San Marino and it's also a bit like the flag of Kingdom of Bavaria. The flag also has some resemblance to the five blue and white horizontal rectangular sections on the Cuban flag.
• The name of the nation resembles the following real location names:
  • "Espírito Santo" (Portuguese: "(i)sˈpiɾitu ˈsɐ̃tu" - translates to "Holy Spirit") - a state in south-eastern Brazil.
  • "Isla Espiritu Santo" - an island in Mexico.