In March of 1964 a bomb nearly killed President Swann. An unknown agent exploded the bomb hidden in a coconut along the President's walking path near the palace. Swann survived with minor injuries but the assassin escaped. During a passionate address to his people and the world at large, the President blamed the attack on the United States, claiming it was retaliation for his country's economic successes. The country established a nighttime curfew for a few days following the bombing, but it was soon revoked.
Two weeks after the assassination attempt Jorge Cruz, the capitalist faction leader, was found dead. In a brief comment to the international press, President Swann suggested that maybe Cruz was involved in the assassination attempt and got what he deserved. The United States was not happy.
But Swann's slight towards the US did not stop at Cruz's death. Later in the month Tropico revealed the construction of a weapons factory. The announcement came as a shock to the international community. Many nations expressed dismay at Tropico's decision to enter the arms industry but President Swann brushed criticisms and complaints away, claiming the factory was a method to bring better jobs and industry to the island in a way that could exploit the resources already being extracted from the ground.
The factory was completed and operational by July of 1964. Tropican officials revealed that it would produce Soviet model AKM's and sell to the U.S.S.R. exclusively.
Shortly after finalizing plans to build an armory in an attempt to counter the growing rebel threat, the government of Tropico received a credible bomb threat. The new weapons factory was targeted, prompting the government to shut it down and execute a thourough sweep of the building to find and dismantle the bomb. A bomb was found and disarmed. President Swann immediately blamed the United States for the threat. In response, Swann ordered the new top capitalist arrested. Marcelina Alexandrova had taken over the faction after Jorge Cruz was killed. Another hardline capitalist, a 41 year old French immigrant named Jules Benedict was also arrested. Benedict was a police officer and suspected by Swann to have supported Alexandrova in the bomb plot.
In March of 1965 Sebastian Diaz, a member of the the palace guard, initiated a coup against President Swann. A gunfight erupted outside the palace, Herman Jimenez of the palace guard fled but others stood their ground and fought. Almost as soon as it started, it was over. Sebastian Diaz was dead in a cornfield.
Sebastian was without family, being only 24 years old and originally from Puerto Rico. President Swann ordered his body to be untouched and left to rot in the field.
Within days of the failed coup, palace guard Herman Jimenez and his wife Tasha were shot to death in the capital.
President Swann opened a new park in the Tropican capital to celebrate his 45th birthday. The park was named Independence Plaza.
In June of 1965, the day after the opening of Independence Plaza, rebels attacked a sugar farm in rural Tropico. With no standing military, the palace guard rushed to the scene to defend the farm.
The rebel attack was organized and coordinated. The palace guards arrive don scene in piecemeal fashion. They were killed as the arrived.
Two guards managed to kill one rebel before they fled in face of the more numerous rebels. Seeing a comrade fall, one rebel abandoned the fight.
President Swann personally attacked the rebels all by himself in a desperate bid to defend the farm. He managed to kill two rebels before being wounded himself and was forced to flee.
Unhindered, the lone remaining rebel planted her explosives near the farm.
The farm was destroyed in the resulting explosion.
President Swann immediately began placing blame for the rebel attack. The last rebel, the one that planted the bomb, was a known intellectual originally from Spain. Swann addressed his people touting his loyalty to Tropico in how he put his life in danger and took a wound to defend the farmers of his country. The president swore to rebuild
two farms in place of the one destroyed, as well as erect a memorial for the the palace guard killed in the fighting.
"I'm personally against seeing my pictures and statues in the streets, but it's what the people want." -SN