Alzacar and Tapioca: the power struggle

As we all know, general Alzacar and general Tapioca like to over throw one another. But, I have some questions:

1.) How many times do they overthrow each other?

2.) Why do they so badly want to overthrow the other? Are they on the opposite extremes of politics?

3.) Who does Nouvo Rico seem to support the most?

4.) Why would Borduria be interested in who leads San Theodoros?

-Gustav

In answer to point 4, Borduria was interested in San Theodoros in the same way Russia was interested in Cuba - it would be a place to launch the missiles against America (provided they ever got their rocket programme sorted out). Anyway, that is the way I’ve always taken it to be.

Yeah, Borduria had become interested in San Theodoros because Tapioca was a puppet of theirs, having subscribed to the "Taschist" ideology (a thinly veiled reference to capital-C Communism). So the seconded Colonel Sponsz (a.k.a Esponja) to San Theodoros to serve as an 'advisor' or what have you.

The allying of Cold War powers with distant nations wasn't only about missiles, of course, so much as a race for territory... the more countries you could get onside (and overlook their faults, as happened repeatedly between the US and USSR), the more you appeared to be 'winning.'

1.) How many times do they overthrow each other?

This is a difficult question...this is what I figured out from The Broken Ear, The Red Sea Sharks, and Tintin and the Picaros. My problem is that I don't have the Seven Crystal Balls, so I don't know what's mentioned there.

Tapioca is in power when Tintin first reaches San Theodoros. He is quickly ousted by Alcazar, who is even more quickly defeated. And then Alcazar takes over once again, and is still in power (as far as you can tell) at the end of the story.
When Tintin meets Alcazar again in the Seven Crystal Balls, Tapioca is in power. I don't know if anything happens about this in the book, but I believe Tapioca is still in power at the end.
In the Red Sea Sharks, Alcazar ousts Tapioca again, with the help of Dawson's second-hand weaponry. He loses it again sometime before the Picaros, though.
And of course, the saga finishes with Alcazar once again throwing out Tapioca.

2.) Why do they so badly want to overthrow the other? Are they on the opposite extremes of politics?

Tapioca can be seen as either a communist (Taschist = Stalinist is the way I see it) or a fascist -- there's bits and pieces which support both far left and far right, strangely enough! Alcazar is very similar as a tyrant, but with no obvious political connections.

3.) Who does Nouvo Rico seem to support the most?

Neither. I believe Neuvo Rico is never mentioned to be supporting either.

4.) Why would Borduria be interested in who leads San Theodoros?

Again, it comes down to power -- they can control the country and run their political schemes through Tapioca, but not through Alcazar.

Paul

In the Red Sea Sharks, Alcazar ousts Tapioca again, with the help of Dawson's second-hand weaponry. He loses it again sometime before the Picaros, though.
And of course, the saga finishes with Alcazar once again throwing out Tapioca.

I'm only remembering this vaguely, but in Tintin and Alph-Art, doesn't someone mention in passing that Tapioca has retaken power?

While reading your list, one thing occurred to me: we know from Picaros that it is "customary" for the overthrowing leader to execute the overthrown one... how did the two of them survive so many coups back and forth?!

I guess they can do a runner before they get captured and go into exile.

I remember in one adventure that Tintin insists that Tapioca not be executed, it might be the Picaros I can't remember, but maybe it stems from a gentlemen's agreement that you spared my life so I'll spare yours.

With so many counter-revolutions you'd think it prudent to execute the other though

Rik

I remember in one adventure that Tintin insists that Tapioca not be executed, it might be the Picaros I can't remember, but maybe it stems from a gentlemen's agreement that you spared my life so I'll spare yours.

Yes, that is the Picaros... Except that everyone -- including Tapioca himself! -- is appalled at Tintin's insistence on non-violence. So there is definitely not gentlemen's agreement here.

(When the Jolly Follies take control of his office, one of Tapioca's colonels immediately says "Viva Alcazar! Death to Tapioca! Would you like me to have him shot, sir?" or something like that...)

It looks like the leaders simply flee when they lose. Remember the execution scene in "The Broken Ear" when the generals talk about the losing side fleeing the country? Apparently, if the two practices are tied together, the generals would have been shot if they didn't run fast enough...

I would place Tapioca as a Facsist, and Alcazar as a Communist, somewhere in the vein or (or indeed Herge's immitation of) Che Guevara (sp?)

I would place Tapioca as a Facsist, and Alcazar as a Communist, somewhere in the vein or (or indeed Herge's immitation of) Che Guevara (sp?)

I wouldn't exactly say that. There are no explicit descriptions of the political ideologies of either Alcazar or Tapioca. In addition, although Alcazar's uniform fairly closely resembles that of Fidel Castro (hence the reference in this thread to Che Guevara), there are many other ways where Tapioca was more closely to the Communists and Fascists. Remember that Alcazar was backed by the International Banana Company (here it'll be called the IBC), which is a reference to the reported role of multinationals to protect their interests in Latin America. Like these real businesses, IBC would probably not want to see its property nationalized under a Communist-Marxist regime (think Castro or Allende), and if they were willing to back Alcazar, this person was obviously not Communist. Many Communists were backed by other Communist governments, which could explain the Taschists (Fascists?) interest in propping up Tapioca. Apparently, Herge shows that no one was really interested in treating Latin America well, with both the Communists and the West interested in using the region as a chessboard of sorts!