Silvio Betanjour

Silvio Betanjoir
Présidente of Grande Inyursta
In office 29 April, 1896 – 11 January, 1916
Preceded by	Gerardo dul Gerais
Succeeded by	TBD
Subprésidente
In office 12 January, 1895 – 29 April, 1896
Personal details
Born	October 31st, 1860 Monte Paz, Grande Inyursta
Nationality	Inyurstan
Political party	Parti de Dura & Unitas
Spouse	Natalia Relucie de Martinez
Children	*multiple*
Profession	Rancher

Silvio Jacques Betanjour de Hujino, also known by the moniker "Silvio B" was a businessman, rancher and the former Présidente of Grande Inyursta, serving four-and-a-half consecutive terms from 1896 through 1916. Betanjour remains a controversial figure, known for scandals, suppression of political enemies and an overall "gangster-style" term as presidente; though still lauded and seen as a folk-hero-turned-leader by many.

As Presidente

Following the assassination of Presidente Gerais, Betanjour wasted no time in pointing the finger at the Valenjia clan. He made no major changes to Gerais's cabinet, with the exception of firing his Minèstrîare de Jùstiçéa and replacing him with Benoit le Busche, his own private security manager.

Feud with the Valenjias

Despite it being a somewhat well-known likelihood that the Valenjias had Presidente Gerais killed on their orders, no local or provincial police would investigate the matter. Using his connections, Betanjour assembled a team of "loyal" and high-performing law enforcement officers along with his own private allies his former to pursue legal action against the Valenjias. To bolster their ranks, a number of special internal security forces from the army were enlisted into the service. This is considered to be the forefather of what would become the Policea National D'Inyursta (PNI).

As Betanjour's personal police force went about their "investigation", the Valenjia's were pushing legal action of their own. Firstly, Ernesto D'Enclaude, their chief family attorney, went about in the wake of the federal police forces and collected evidence of violated rights, unlawful search-and-entries, cruel interrogation tactics, bribes etc. Then, the Valenjia's offered a large sum to anyone from Silvo Betanjour's past or private life to come forward with scandalous information; meanwhile, using their connections in the media printing industry to lambast Betanjour as a criminal, a hack, and a tyrant day in and day out. Lastly, family patriarch Montie Mano Valenjia, approached former presidential runner-up Jean-Pierre Dezonado about the possibility of running again.

Eventually, the youngest son of three, Dario Valenjia, would ultimately be charged with financing the hit against Gerais - though historical accounts reveal that Dario himself willingly came forward with this information. Betanjour would push to have him charged with treason and facing a very public execution; however, with his grandfather's layers and the jury stacked with his own peers, Dario would only be found guilty on a much lesser charge of conspiracy to commit criminal activity.

Victorious only on paper, this feud would set the stage for Betanjour's long drawn out gutting of the Inyurstan legal system.

Granjèchampé

Betanjour is known for codifying Granjèchampé, an already de-facto state of affairs, into legal precedent when he mobilized and deployed the regular army to enforce rent contracts. In addition to physical force-of-arms, Betanjour's admin also micromanaged affairs and specifically appointed judges who would enforce rent contracts. Despite this being an obvious move to hurt the Valenjias and their allies, who had been using peasant land for mass crop agriculture, but providing a myriad of delayed payments, legal excuses, intentionally poor communications, etc.; it was extremely popular among the rural poor of Inyursta. Furthermore, the move had the effect - likely intended - of causing many peasant landowners to then see contracted rental usage of their land as a "get rich quick" scheme, and began inflating rent prices on the wealthy crop agricultural barons who had been using their land for mere pennies per acre a year.

While the rich agricultural baron families would later find ways of reducing or otherwise mitigating the codified reforms under Betanjour, the legal nature of Granjechampe stuck until Carmòn Solévereu's reign, and was immediately re-implemented following the Inyurstan Civil War.

Marriage

In 1899, as part of the ongoing press offensive against Silvio Betanjour, a scandal was leaked that he frequented a lady of the night back in his hometown of Monte Paz. More scandalous yet was when it was revealed that this woman was seen frequenting the Bâitmas Executív in Fjorda de Rivéra (the then-capital). Présidente Betanjour then took the situation into his own hands, and publicly proposed to his favorite comfort girl, Natalia Martinez. Of course, Silvio took this opportunity to come just short of demanding that the better part of the Inyurstan government come in attendance.

The ceremony was held in San Ignacio rather than the capital. On the day of the wedding Natalia, the now-known prostitute, opted to wear a red wedding dress and red veil - starting the trend of NovÍas Roujes (Red Brides).

Gang of 7

As Silvio Betanjour's enemies in Castille grew numerous, he turned back to his own personal allies in Topoguya. First, as Minèstrîare de L'Econimea, he appointed his once former employer Georgio Langito; whom many believe Betanjour still owed some form of debt to, even if intrinsic. Next, he dismissed his current subpresidente, replacing him with his own younger brother, Françisco Betanjour. Benoit le Busche was already acting Minèstrîare de Jùstiçéa, though he also pushed Betanjour to bring on his father-in-law and local logging boss Daniel-Louis Guardjino as Minèstrîare de L'Ínteríore. Présidente Betanjour then invented the position of "Minèstrîare de d'Admínistratióne" (quite obviously "Minister of Administration"), of which was given to Jean-Michèl Vallezo - one of their mutual poker buddies. Lastly, as Generèle-Grande de las Forças D'Armidas, Silvio appointed his once-rival landowner Marco "Mac" dul Brassaige. It is unknown what transpired in between their 1889 rivalry and Brassaige being appointed supreme commander of the armed forces in 1907, despite only having served as an enlisted conscript in the Guerrocan-Occidentian "Swamp Wars"; but he remained an unexpected and staunch ally of Betanjour until their respective removals in 1916.

They earned the nickname the "Gang of 7", and often travelled together on foot. Residents of urban, coastal Fjorda de Rivera often noted the tall domed hats and sharp leather boots worn by the president and his gang of Topoguyan friends. They also carried their own arms, often either long-barreled revolvers or "falçion" style knives. In one instance in December of 1911, a supposed would-be assassin was shot in the leg by the older Daniel-Louis Guardjino, and the rest of the gang - including the Presidente - then proceeded to kick the bleeding man with their hardened boots and stomp him on the cobblestone. (Betanjour would later pardon the man from death row, claiming that he "learned his lesson") The gang was also accused of both trying to intimidate political rivals and acting as their own law enforcement - the latter of which claim was often laughed off by Betanjour and Le Busche, who literally saw themselves as the highest law. At the then-presidential mansion, Betanjour and his buddies would host high-stakes poker tournaments and wild parties (often both at the same time). "Madâme Primiéra" Natalia Betanjour-Martinez would serve expensive drinks and invite her former colleagues to entertain the presidente's guests. It is said that in one excessively rambunctious party, over 16 barrels of rum and a "mule's back" worth of combined tobacco and marijuana were consumed in the executive mansion over a period of 13 hours from 4pm to 5am the following morning.

Impeachments

Second Impeachment

In 1914...

Third & Fourth Impeachment

Betanjour's third and fourth impeachments were both widely considered to be more symbolic than practical - though some historians have argued that the impeachment votes were more for determining loyalties of previous fence-sitters than symbolism. The Baîtement dul Gente (House of the People) voted 190-148 in favor of impeaching the présidente for "disorderly behavior". This impeachment passed both the Baîtemente de la Provèncias (House of the States) with a narrow margin, and the Baîtement dul Maistréos (House of the Masters, or "House of the Experts" more practically translated) almost unanimously (save for one "Maistreo", who was elected by the lower house shortly after the election of Président Gerais). Less than two months later, Présidente Betanjour was impeached for "corrupting the youth" for letting a number of school children handle his gun and sit on the lap of his former prostitute first lady. This impeachment passed the Baîtement dul Gente by a margin of 207 - 131. While it went nowhere, just like the last three impeachments, it was a sign that the government was now squarely against the présidente.

Final Impeachment & Removal

Unbeknownst to Betanjour and Le Busche, now the military was conspiring against them. A council of high-ranking officers from well-to-do families were angered by the appointment of Braissage and his overall disrespect for the office of Generèle-Grande de las Forças D'Armidas (which much of the senior officer corps beleive he did not deserve). Knowing that they could not move against Braissage without moving against Betanjour and Le Busche, a small number of generàles and admiràles made queit contact with members of the legislature.

On September 2nd, 1916 Silvio Betanjour was impeached for a 5th time, this time for "staying office despite being impeached multiple times", with a margin of 225 - 113. The resolution passed all three houses within a business day. Braissage was temporarily arrested and stripped of rank before the resolution had even been put to a vote in the final house, while Le Busche was arrested by soldiers almost immediately upon Betanjour's impeachment. Silvio Betanjour was not even in Fjorda at the time; however, the military occupied by the presidential mansion and Baîtment D'Éxecutív, with an admiràle deciding to take up occupancy in the former while a generàle declared himself "acting executive" until the legislature appointed a replacement.