Even if its leisure-oriented, any innovation and economy not based on slave labor and raw/unfinished goods material exports is an excellent indicator of progress.
Even though Borgovia and its closest ally, Brazil (to the point people considers Brazil to be Borgovia's attack dog despite both nations never having conflict) stepped out of the Cold War faction and aligned mostly with the United States, the Soviet Union feared Borgovia more than the United States. Borgovia didn't create its own third faction purely because it aligns more with the USA than against it, and by being the 'Third Superpower', it would give the USSR the shot it needs to divide and conquer the Capitalist West.
Stalin feared Borgovia because they're the only country to not only have political dominance over its continent, the whole continent is very pro-Borgovian. No country in Europe or Asia can achieve that feat, not even the United States in its own sphere. Oftentimes, Borgovia does the dirty work for the USA and interrupt Central American, Cuban, Panamanian, and Mexican insurgency against the United States since most insurgency are Communist in nature, and Borgovia would want Communism to stay as far away from the New World as possible. And apparently, the entire continent of South America is on board. The reason why the whole continent is very pro-Borgovia is because the Corpus Board took a "Marshall Plan" initiative in the 1800s to "develop our sphere of influence so they are a self-correcting, self-regulating, reliable ally whose infrastructure, military, and industry are enough to sustain its own". In other words, it's cheaper to develop your poorer neighbors, train them, and make them at least capable of holding their own than to dominate them entirely.
Because of this initiative, Brazil, Suriname, Bolivia, Peru, etc range from Lower Middle (Belarus, $5600 GDP) to low-tier Upper income (Seychelles, $15,000 GDP) economies with a sizable, educated middle class and a French-modeled Parliamentary system (due to 'Special Relations' with France) kept the continent stable. A stable government with a sizable population to maintain an industrialized economy means high consumerism of Borgovian goods and services, its infrastructure allows efficient shipping between the continents, but Borgovian corporations oftentimes make up the bulk of employers in the country. In a way, it privately, not politically, dominated South America.
Still, only Borgovia is considered a high income economy as they only developed the continent enough to most efficiently support Borgovia's geopolitical power, but also allows the countries itself to be powerful enough to make hostile outsiders weary of angering South America. The development of the continent and the prosperity it brought made South America very Pro-Borgovia, so even if the USSR was to agitate Borgovia somewhat, you're looking at decently sized economies to economic powerhouses with similarly adjusted military power backing up Borgovia. This is why the United States agreed to dismantle the Panama Treaty and merge both North & South America into the Organization of American States which works very closely with NATO, so basically one alliance two branches. With Borgovian & Brazilian investments flooding Panama and up north, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama went through an 'Economic miracle' but Mexico & Panama unfortunately fell into the Middle Income Trap with Costa Rica being promoted to a high income economy.
