San Theodoros is a Latin American country in The Adventures of Tintin. San Theodoros apparently became independent around 1805 as a result of the unstated actions of General Olivaro, possibly similar to those of Simón Bolívar. Its capital is Los Dopicos (which was called Tapiocapolis while General Tapioca was in power). San Theodoros is bordered by rival nation Nuevo-Rico.
Politics[]
The statecraft of San Theodoros is unstable and represents the typical Banana Republic. The calamity in government is seen in Tintin and the Picaros, where General Alcazar and General Tapioca often vying for power through revolutions and eventually turns the country's leadership because they are unable to remain in power for long.
Culture[]
Most of the population seems to be humble and poor, but they are also a festive people. Between February 22-24 every year they have their own carnival, celebrated for a few days in the capital, Los Dopicos. Several of the nation's local businesses are revealed as well:
- The central bank is called Banco de la Nación.
- The national airline is SANTAERO.
- The state lottery is called Loteria Naciónal
Location[]
The map showing San Theodoros as being located in north-east South America.
In Tintin and the Picaros, the Paris Flash report clearly states that the country is in South America, since Bianca Castafiore reportedly "continued her brilliant progress through South America," after visiting Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, and plans visit San Theodoros. In the same book, Captain Haddock, on an attempt to call General Tapioca, says "Hello, International? Give me South America... Tapiocapolis... General Tapioca!"
In part one of The Broken Ear's TV version, a map displayed at the Museum of Ethnography showing the location of the Arumbayas also includes San Theodoros and the neighboring state of Nuevo-Rico, depicting the to be directly south of Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, and north of the Amazon River, though their borders do not appear to be drawn. In The Broken Ear, the capital, Los Dopicos, is shown to have a seaport, whereas in Tintin and the Picaros, it appears to be inland.
Military[]
During General Alcazar and General Tapioca's conflict, the San Theodorian military mostly stays loyal to the one in power. In both The Broken Ear and Tintin and the Picaros, San Theodorian military personnel quickly change allegiances when one of the two Generals overthrows the other. Despite this, some are specifically loyal to a respective General, such as Los Picaros to Alcazar.
The San Theodorian army has a ridiculous proliferation of colonels. In The Broken Ear, the army had 3487 colonels but only 49 corporals. During Alcazar's first regime, the entire number of troops under the employment of the armed forces stood at approximately 44,900 men, and would have been larger during Tapioca's previous dictatorship. San Theodoros appears to also have a navy and air force, but little is seen of them, although J.M. Dawson, the Shanghai International Settlement's police chief, supplies aircraft to both Alcazar and Tapioca.
Under General Tapioca, San Theodoros enjoyed close military co-operation with the fascist state of Borduria in Europe, explaining the style of its military uniforms and munitions. Tapioca's symbol can also be compared to the mustache of the Bordurian dictator, Marshal Kûrvi-Tasch. After General Alcazar returns to power, some military units are depicted clad in guerrilla-style uniforms. In The Broken Ear both San Theodoros and its warring neighbor Nuevo Rico buy arms from the same arms dealer, Basil Bazarov.
The main service rifle of the San Theodorian army during Tapioca's second regime, also often used by the Picaros resistance, is the Italian-made AR-70.