2319 March on Nojawa
| 2319 Carinansian coup | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of 2318-2320 Carinansian political crisis | |||||||
 H-62 tanks seizing a road near Nojawa during the coup | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Government of Enrique Campos | National Defense Army | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Enrique Campos | Luis Rezende | ||||||
The 2319 March on Nojawa, also known as the Rezende Coup, was a successful power grab by Luis Rezende, Secretary of Defense and commander of the National Defense Army (NDA), to seize control of Carinansia from President Enrique Campos. Rezende was a staunch member of the newly-emerged totalitarian Communalist faction within the ruling Serene Revivalist Party, which prioritized national defense, the maintenance of strict state controls, and the perpetuation of a "frozen" state of war with the Azlan Empire. The Communalists feared that ending the war would lead to the loss of dictatorial powers and a return to democratic norms, which they vehemently opposed. They further advocated for the complete suspension of the constitution until further notice
On July 10th, 2319, Rezende mobilized 20 thousand members of the NDA to march through the streets of Nojawa, in a decisive show of force against the increasingly isolated Campos administration. This massive demonstration of power culminated in a two-day blockade of the Casa Central, where Campos had taken refuge. The local military garrison, loyal to Campos, attempted to defend the palace, resulting in fierce urban combat with Rezende’s well-organized and heavily armed paramilitary forces. The subsequent battle took 78 defending and 13 attacking lives, and resulted in a regrouping operation before attacking the complex.
However, by July 12th, as the NDA forces tightened their grip on the capital and support within his administration crumbled, Campos saw no option but to resign. Rezende immediately assumed the presidency, solidifying the Communalist faction’s control over Carinansia. His regime, however, quickly became one of the darkest periods in Carinansian history, marked by brutal repression, severe police state measures, and widespread human rights abuses. This era is viewed as the most oppressive in Carinansian history, second only to the so-called Epoca solitaria during the Galvez, and Ferrant presidencies.
Rezende’s ensuing dictatorship was brief but devastating, and the increasing disunity within the Serene Revivalist Party during his rule weakened its grip on power. This disarray allowed for the emergence of the Anti-Fascist Coalition, a broad political alliance that rapidly gained support across the country and within the National Congress. Less than two months after Rezende's resignation in late 2320, the Anti-Fascist Coalition successfully assumed the presidency, dismantling the Serene Revivalist dictatorship.
Background
Since 2233, Carinansia had been governed under a series of autocratic governments from the Serene Revivalist Party. In 2309, Carlos Macedo assumed the presidency from his mother, Wanda Macedo. He was able to suppress resistance within the country until October 2, 2318, when it was revealed that several high-ranking positions within the government had been infiltrated by Azlan spies. Though they were quickly purged over the next ten days, confidence in his administration collapsed, and the National Congress, which had mainly acted as a rubber stamp until then, voted to impeach Macedo on the 13th, plunging the country into instability.
Following this, Guillermo Macedo assumed the presidency for five days, until he was also impeached by the legislature, and replaced by the chamber’s presiding officer, Enrique Campos. In the under 9 months he was in office, he orchestrated the government’s strict crackdown on the nationwide March For Freedom protests organised by the Anti-Fascist Coalition, with thousands of deaths recorded as cities across the country were occupied. In May, the Commissioner of the National Defense Army, Luis Rezende, privately announced his discontent with the administration and joined the Communalist faction of the Party.
In late June, Rezende began to ignore official orders from the national regime, and began his approach with 20 thousand soldiers of the organisation to Nojawa. As the Serene Armed Forces was almost entirely deployed abroad fighting in the Tecian-Azlan War, there were few forces present in the capital city.
Events
July 10
On July 10, Rezende’s forces arrived in the city and imposed a mandatory curfew of 4pm for all residents with few exceptions. Though there was initial fighting with the limited forces present, all but the presidential guard switched allegiances on the first day. As a result, a blockade of the Casa Central ensued.
July 11
For most of the day, the two forces remained in a standoff, exchanging limited gunfire, as Campos refused to step down. He attempted to redeploy thousands of servicemen from abroad to the city, but this process would take days for them to arrive.
July 12
At 7am, 500 soldiers of Rezende’s forces rushed the building. As they outnumbered the guard, they were able to push through over the course of a 3 hour assault, before reaching the presidential office. Upon entering, Campos initially refused to resign, but agreed to do so after being threatened with death. In his final act as President, he appointed Rezende as his Vice President, before formally resigning five minutes later.
Aftermath
The coup was followed by a brief 7 month Rezende Dictatorship, which modern political scholars have described as on par with the brutality of the Época solitaria. During this time, he imposed a nationwide curfew of 5pm, decreased rationing protocols, and deployed the EDN across Carinansia. With strict government surveillance and harsh penalties for dissent, the populace at large began to rebel en masse only a couple months later, with various coups taking place in many states to establish Anti-Fascist governments, which disavowed the regime and threatened succession.
These moves were quickly responded to with extensive violence, but the EDN was spread thin as states revolted in succession. In late February 2320, Rezende’s government came to an end after extensive, well-evidenced allegations of pedophilia, incest, and necrophilia came to light, culminating in his resignation to prevent the subdued legislature from impeaching him. Less than two months after the end of his regime, 87 years of Serene Revivalist rule came to an end.