The news had reached the other republics: a young president had ventured into the eye of the storm, alone and without escort, putting his life at risk. If there was any doubt left about his leadership, there was none now. With pride, the citizens of the Seven Republics spoke his name. This was the president they needed; this was the young man they could confidently call "the president."
Slowly, his name became established: Fausto Gabriel. The most powerful man in the Seven Republics. His name was on the banners of the militants, and his words and speeches were collected to immortalize them on the standards. Wherever he went, or where it was suspected he would go, the people were there waiting; their leader had become their champion.
What happened after the law was passed? What became of the rebels?
It was known that Celeste continued to communicate with Fausto and was even invited to the Government House to dine with his wife. The magistrate who had ordered the army to crush the uprising was removed from office for rebelling against the State. By default, elections were called, resulting in the RIU winning once again, and this time the cabeluces voted, achieving a great victory. Sebastián Lacarse took office with a margin of 61% of the votes.
Commander Vega Ocampo was discharged from the armed forces and prohibited from wearing his uniform again. Instead, Axel Quiroga was promoted to colonel, marking the first time a president had promoted a military officer to such a high rank. As expected, this caused discontent within the sector, as that rank was typically only attained through military academy. With this gesture, Fausto showed his claws to the army.
Despite everything that had happened, on July 14, there were elections for senators in the six republics, except in Bélua, where they took place on September 14. Surprisingly, the RIUI won in Artigas, Argentum, and Neptún, but lost in the other republics, mainly in Nova Terra and Cárdenas, which fell into the hands of the JW party. To everyone’s surprise, a relatively new party, the UNO (National Organizational Union), emerged and won in the Inca Republic. This party advocated for equality and the prohibition of the slave trade. Their victory was unexpected, but according to historian Felipe Keneth, the reason a nearly new party got so far was the poor management of the JW party magistrate, Antonio Caroto. There were unpaid state employees, medical and educational institutions in poor condition, not to mention scandals involving three of his secretaries. The party did everything possible to defend him, which caused general discontent and led to their defeat. Furthermore, it was discovered that the RIU in Inca facilitated the trafficking of cabeluce slaves. Candidate Vincent Nube was arrested for human trafficking, which damaged the party’s image, as there were those who supported Fausto but were not willing to vote for someone like Vincent. The UF party did not exist in Inca and had no plans to participate, as they could never manage to have a candidate that kept them united; in fact, that year, the UF dissolved due to internal problems, and its members joined either the JW or the RIU.
However, the victory in Bélua was crushing. The RIU won with a margin of 70% of the votes, achieving a wide majority in the chamber. Fausto could now govern and do as he pleased.
In the government houses, Fausto's decisions began to reflect the ideals of this new movement. The approved laws seemed to point toward a greater centralization of power and an expansion of the state's influence over key institutions. Some viewed it as a necessary step to strengthen the union of the republics, while others warned of the danger of a covert dictatorship.
However, this would come to nothing, as he had very strong political opponents. Aníbal Torcuato Harrington had echoed his fervor against all laws that Fausto promulgated, especially since there were laws that, according to him, benefited the republican people.
It was true that Fausto had victories, but there were also defeats. He tried to separate the armed forces from the political regime, arguing that the army should never be a factor of any ideology other than that of defending the state and its citizens. It was then that Hidalgo gained more support for his refusal.
"You are nobody to dictate what the army should think or not. You have, and will have, no right to restrict their freedom of thought."
"I am not taking away their right to think," Fausto replied. "What I want is for them to revoke their opinion about the current government. They must obey the interests of the nation, not of ideologies."
"Don't lie," Hidalgo retorted. "You are terrified of having a formidable opponent like the proud army of the great republic. Our anthem clearly states: 'Hear the change.' It seems that our esteemed president is deaf or does not want to listen."
"The army exists to protect the nation from external enemies, not from internal ones," Fausto insisted. "If this does not stop, in the future the army, according to your own thinking, could usurp power, as they have the means to do so."
"Ha! You imply that our men are unscrupulous scoundrels. Don’t make me laugh, Mr. President."
"Our anthem also says: 'Aspire to the future.' It seems that Senator Hidalgo does not aspire to that future and only wants to boast of past glories, without understanding the consequences that brings."
It was a long discussion in which both countered each other time and again; however, Fausto lost support from his own party members for this bill. The difference was staggering; only Fausto voted in favor, while the rest abstained or voted against.
"Congress has spoken, and I obey."
The disappointment and frustration were evident when he said those words, for Victorino, the man he admired, did not support him in this decision. According to the vice president himself, he went to see him at the Government House and there he found an enraged Fausto.
"They are cowards!"
"Not at all. They realized that it's not in their interest to be at odds with the military sector."
"Are you too?"
"Yes, I am. Don't you see that your position is only about five years old since its creation, while the army has existed for two thousand years? In fact, it was the branch that lasted the longest when the infected attacked."
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"Those are past glories. These times are different."
"Those past glories saved your life, yours and your wife's. The man you called an idiot was the one who took care of you."
"I appreciate that, but I can't be in eternal debt just for that."
"You should be. You're being very immature; without him, you wouldn't exist."
"AND WITHOUT ME, YOU WOULDN'T EXIST!"
Victorino slapped Fausto.
"Watch your language. Did you just hear yourself? Thanks to me, you are where you are. Do you think you were elected because you’re a pretty-faced young man or because your mind is superior to others? No, you’re here because my party allows it. You’re here because I made your position and your rise possible. You’re here because I was the one running from one place to another, fixing all your impulsiveness with the bills. Don't you dare belittle me, young man, because you not only disrespect me, you disrespect yourself."
After saying this, he saw Karen leave the living room, worried.
"Excuse me, Miss Freeman, I was just leaving."
When Victorino reached the door, he turned and looked at Fausto.
"You’re doing a great job; I’m proud of it. But you must understand that society is made up of millions of individuals with different ideas, and it’s those same individuals who see soldiers as heroes. You can’t change everything, son, especially not someone who doesn’t want to change. Please, rest; I’ll take care of it."
"Erick..."
Victorino turned.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry."
"It’s nothing."
Victorino closed the door and walked away.
It was the first time Fausto felt such a crushing defeat. No one wanted to support his law; while history might vindicate him, the execution and the times did not. That setback showed him that he was not prepared for that battle, but it laid a foundation for future struggles.
There were years of relative peace. His name echoed throughout all the republics, and his face was seen in the streets. Curiously, there were posters of him alongside those of Erick Victorino, Karen Freeman, Celeste Villordo, and Rivas Hidalgo. This last detail was curious, given the well-known discord among them. However, the party wanted to project an image that, despite their differences, the RIU remained united. This could be taken with a grain of truth, though not enough to sustain that image completely. Nonetheless, it was positive, as many people began to believe it.
Many wondered why Karen was there. It turned out that she campaigned in the streets, accompanying her husband in every speech. Moreover, she always defended the voting rights of the youth: every seventeen-year-old had the right to vote. She also advocated for the rights of single mothers, pushing for a social plan that provided them with a salary to assist them. Single fathers could also access this allocation, albeit with certain limitations, of course.
Celeste Villordo showed great conviction in spreading the president’s words to other cabeluces, like a prophet. The image of Fausto was almost that of a deity.
Slowly, a political movement began to gain strength every day: Gabrielism. Joaquín Fausto Gabriel was its leader. While the initial steps of this movement were due to Florentinism, preached by Fausto during his presidency, it was his actions and achievements that shaped Gabrielism in the eyes of the citizens. It wasn’t Florentina Emma who provided them with education, health, and jobs, but the young Fausto Gabriel.
Fausto preached general well-being, democracy, and state justice. Every citizen had the right to a dignified home, quality education, and completely free healthcare.
"A nation must always rely on the State. We exist thanks to you, because it is the citizens who grant us this power. Many times we are not aware of what we hold in our hands; we decide who lives and who does not with our choices. That’s why you must never distance yourselves from politics or politicians. You will always have the final say on who represents you; keep that in mind."
In other times, Fausto would have been labeled with a malicious word: "populist." But how could he avoid that label when that young man appeared, wanting everyone to live with dignity, fervently wishing for his people to be interested in voting? Despite the lack of guarantees that he would be elected, he always bet on democracy.
It could be said that this movement defended democracy, the protection of the State, and the rights of citizens. How could anyone not trust someone who always fought for all? He could have governed following the interests of the party or the political class in the Senate, but instead, he had a vision and applied it. With his successes and his mistakes, he played by the rules of politics and benefited his citizens.
The population continued with their daily lives. In the streets, political speeches could be heard, both from the ruling party and the opposition, filled with reproaches and acknowledgments. The capital was buzzing with conversations about the president’s opinion, mostly positive.
It was incredible that, in just five years, citizens talked more about the policies of a young president than about the walls that surrounded them. They no longer doubted their resilience or harbored thoughts about an external enemy. Now, what prevailed were ideologies and patriotism, the splendor of the Great Republic, or rather, of the Seven Republics.
There were several disputes between him and Congress. Many laws were passed, of course, but there were also others that didn’t even achieve half approval. However, it was surprising to see that he no longer got upset when things didn’t go his way. He no longer raged; he had to mature. He knew when to back down and when to challenge Congress with his laws.
Under Fausto’s mandate, the Seven Republics ceased to fear the external enemy and began to focus on building a fairer nation. Citizens, especially the young, felt that for the first time their voices were heard. The right to vote at seventeen, one of Fausto’s flagship reforms, symbolized the government’s commitment to the new generations, reinforcing the sense of belonging and political participation. This was one of the pillars on which Gabrielism was consolidated.
Rivas Hidalgo, in his own words, said: "There’s no doubt that he and I don’t get along. There are ideas I don’t share, and there are situations I can’t ignore, but it’s undeniable that neither of us would achieve something like this: a modern democratic society."
Aníbal Harrington expressed the following: "He is reckless and very capable; I take my hat off to him. But there’s no doubt that many of his actions will cause problems in the future. He was the link that turned a State institution into a figure of leadership and strength. But if there are elections for president, I won’t hesitate to point out everything that is wrong with this government. There are things that cannot continue as they are."
Despite their ideological differences, Rivas Hidalgo acknowledged the transformative power of Fausto’s policies. Nevertheless, he always remained critical, questioning the long-term consequences of his vision. This constant tension between them only strengthened Fausto’s image as a leader willing to confront any opposition to achieve what he believed was right. On the other hand, figures like Aníbal Harrington, while admiring Fausto’s capabilities, warned about the risks of centralized power in such a young figure.
Gabrielism was born from the vision of a young president who sought to bring dignity and social justice to all corners of the Seven Republics. His policies not only defended citizens’ rights but also promoted greater equality, emphasizing education, health, and access to a dignified home. Through his leadership, Fausto instilled a sense of hope in the population, particularly among the youth, who saw in him a leader willing to break away from the stagnant political traditions of the past.
After the four years of his mandate, known as the honeymoon phase, Fausto faced a Congress that seemed determined to block many of his initiatives. However, far from giving up, he learned from his failures and matured as a leader. He no longer allowed frustration to consume him but understood when to step back and when to push forward with strength. This ability to adapt to circumstances was key to his success, and the people began to see him not only as a young idealist but as a strong leader capable of guiding the nation toward a fairer future.