Chapter 2040 - 843: The Perpetrators Are Getting Nervous~_2

Alarcón waited for the continuation.

"However, the situation with the troops… is not looking good."

Acuña handed him a battle report that had just been received.

"The Mexican vanguard has already reached a point fifty kilometers from Quito. Three brigades, twenty thousand men, three hundred armored vehicles. Our troops… have dispersed."

Alarcón looked at the battle report, his hand started to tremble again.

"Dispersed?"

"The First Division has withdrawn eighty kilometers, now out of contact. The Second Division surrendered, the commander was captured. The Third Division is still fighting, but the ammunition will only last for two days. The Fourth Division…" Acuña paused, "the commander of the Fourth Division just called me, said he needs to 'reconsider his stance'."

Alarcón looked up.

"What does that mean?"

"It means he might defect."

The office was silent for a few seconds.

Alarcón put down the battle report.

"What about Sinopiquiar? How is Guayaquil?"

Acuña shook his head.

"No contact. The Mexican troops have reached Guayas Province, his phone is unreachable, and no one is responding on the radio."

Alarcón closed his eyes.

He thought of what Sinopiquiar said on the phone this afternoon: "Mr. President, I am doing this for the country."

For the country.

Now, that person "for the country" could not even be reached by phone.

"Mr. President," Acuña said, "we still have one option."

Alarcón opened his eyes.

"What option?"

"Seek aid from the international community. The United States, Europe, the United Nations—if they agree to intervene, the Mexicans will have to stop."

Alarcón looked at him.

"Do you think they will?"

Acuña didn't speak.

Alarcón walked to the window.

Outside the window, the night sky over Quito was dark. In the distance, toward the south, a faint glow of fire was visible—that was the direction of the Mexican troops.

"Let's try."

9 PM, Washington D.C., Oval Office.

The Chief of Staff, holding the urgent plea for help sent from Quito, stood at the Oval Office door, hesitating for three seconds.

Three seconds later, he pushed the door open and entered.

The President was watching a CNN live broadcast. On screen, Alarcón, dressed in military uniform, was standing on a balcony, passionately denouncing "Mexican hegemony."

"Did you see that?" the Chief of Staff asked.

The President nodded.

"What should we reply?"

The President was silent for a few seconds.

"Tell them the United States expresses 'serious concern' about the situation in Ecuador. Urge both parties to 'exercise restraint' and 'resolve differences through dialogue.' The United States is willing to provide 'humanitarian aid' 'at an appropriate time.'"

The Chief of Staff was stunned for a moment.

"That's all?"

The President looked at him.

"That's all."

The Chief of Staff hesitated.

"But Mr. President, Ecuador is an important ally of the United States in the Andean region…"

"Important ally?" The President interrupted him, "Where were they when Texas was lost? Where were they when California was lost? None of those 'important allies' uttered a word. Now they've been attacked, and they remember the United States?"

The Chief of Staff said nothing.

"Besides—" the President paused, "the Mexicans are serious this time. Twenty thousand men, three hundred armored vehicles, at the capital's doorstep within twenty-four hours. How many troops do you think we need to stop them? And if we send them, will Mexico send more troops over? Then what? Start a war in the Americas?"

The Chief of Staff lowered his head.

"Send the reply."

9:30 PM, Brussels, European Union Headquarters.

The emergency meeting ended after fifteen minutes.

The conclusion was simple: not to intervene.

The French representative said: "This is an internal affair of the Americas."

The German representative said: "The European Union has no mandate to conduct military intervention in Latin America."

The British representative—the observer who always sits in the corner—said: "We respect Ecuador's sovereignty, also respect Mexico's… uh… security concerns."

Only the Spanish representative added: "Ecuador was once our colony, we have a historical responsibility—"

Interrupted by the French representative.

"Historical responsibility? You lost all your colonies in Latin America a hundred years ago."

The meeting was over.

10 PM, New York, United Nations Headquarters.

Emergency meeting of the Security Council.

The United States abstained. The United Kingdom abstained. France abstained. Russia—the representative chuckled and said "very interesting," then abstained too.

The Chinese representative spoke: "China calls on all parties to exercise restraint, resolve differences through peaceful means. China opposes any form of armed intervention in other countries' internal affairs—of course, specific situations require specific analysis."

In other words: we won't involve ourselves.

Fifteen minutes later, the meeting ended.

No resolutions, no statements, no actions.

Alarcón's plea for help, like a stone thrown into the sea, didn't even cause a ripple.

10:30 PM, Quito.

When Acuña rushed into the presidential office, Alarcón was reading the message sent from the United Nations.

"Mr. President, the Mexican vanguard—"

"I know." Alarcón interrupted him.

He handed the document to Acuña.

Acuña glanced at it, his face changed.

"They all abstained?"

Alarcón nodded.

"The United States abstained, the United Kingdom abstained, France abstained, Russia abstained, China said 'specific situations require specific analysis.' The United Nations did nothing."

Acuña was silent for a few seconds.

"What do we do now?"

Alarcón looked at him.

"What do you think?"

Acuña said nothing.

Outside, the glow of fire from the south was growing closer.

At the same time, in Southern Mexico, Chiapas State, temporary forward command.

Victor did not go to the front line.

He sat in the command center, in front of him were dozens of screens showing real-time positions of various units, enemy dynamics, and logistics situation.