However, the final straw that broke the camel's back and would lead to Varadero's demise came when he, in a bid to both clear the prisons for all the police he was purging and put more leftist muscle on the streets, pardoned 480 former guerrillas from the short-lived rebel group Erjicito de Liberación Popular de Cervantes (ELPC). This not only pushed the military brass to the breaking point, but also led to the death of Martina Castillo, one of the few remaining members of the highly affluent Castillo Rum dynasty at the hands of a gang of raiders rumored to be organized by a released guerrilla. Her death incited rage in the already anti-Varadero Castillo family, and led them to begin making calls back home and abroad...
June 21st 2018; 4:47 AL-C
The elite 14o Operaciones Brigada de Especiales is secretly moved from alert status to active status. All personal report to Campo de Aviación Matanzas.
4o División Blindada is kept on training status. Several armored battalions move toward Ciudad Cumana on the basis of a training exercise in case of foreign terrorists attacking the capital.
6:09 AL-C
A battalion of the 4o División Blindada enters and surrounds Aeropuerto Internacional
de Hugo Fernandinez. Air traffic continues as normal.
6:51 AL-C
Two battalions of the 4o División Blindada post up on either side of the E1 highway entering and exiting Ciudad Cumana.
7:30 AL-C
Parlamento Nacional begins session as normal.
A bomb threat is called in for the town of Tranqueras on the border with Sao Escobar.
7:45 AL-C
Two battalions of 4o División Blindada secure the government district of Ciudad Cumana. Tanks and infantry are sent to surround the Presidential Palace, the Parlamento Nacional building, and the headquarters of the PRS. Presidential security units at the palace are ordered to stand-down while the PRS self-defense militia are ordered to surrender.
Policía Nacional are called up to disperse the coup and assist the palace security and PRS self-defense militia.
8:24 AL-C
A stand-off ensues between armored units of the Erjicito Nacional and Policía Nacional supporting presidential security & PRS militia.
10:13 AL-C
Active units are redirected from several minor border crossings with Nueva Aragua and sent to the border with Sao Escobar in response to the bomb threat.
The 1o División de Infantería and 9o División de Infantería are called into active status.
11:00 AL-C
President Varadero goes on TV from the presidential palace declaring that he is still in charge of the country, and that the traitors in the military will be punished. The stand-off continues outside, while air traffic is shut down from Aeropuerto Internacional de Hugo Fernandinez.
11:57 AL-C
Airborne units of the 14o Operaciones Brigada de Especiales attack a small village enclave 18km west of Santa Cruz.
The stand-off in the capital continues.
14:00 AL-C
An unnamed spokesperson on the Erjicito Nacional writes on social media that (former Comandante) Carlos "El Alimañas" Jimenez and PRS Chairman Jose de la Flores have apprehended and taken into custody.
14:38 AL-C
"Los Rojos" Fighter squadron refuses to stand down for the coup. Six A-4KU jets are launched and vector towards an unknown support aircraft over the southern coast of the country.
15:05 AL-C
The stand-off is broken when the 4o División Blindada open fire on the PRS headquarters and begin to lay siege to the presidential palace.
15:24 AL-C
Two A-4KU of "Los Rojos" are shot down by one or more unknown sources near the town of Puerto Branco. "Los Amarillos" squadron are called into to support, but remain grounded in compliance with the coup. "Los Rojos" breaks off and retreats.
16:51 AL-C
The 1o División de Infantería moves to secure the central-southern city of Santa Cruz, while the 9o División de Infantería moves to capture the southern coastal city of Puerto Rosario.
Policía Nacional units around the PSR headquarters and Parlamento Nacional begin defecting, deserting and abandoning their posts. Tanks begin firing shells into the PSR headquarters, while soldiers deploy mortars to clear the courtyard and rooftop.
18:17 AL-C
Erjicito Nacional proclaim the Parlamento Nacional building under their control, and "all traitors" in their custody.
20:49 AL-C
The army storms the PSR headquarters. Non-essential staff (janitors, interns, IT, etc.) are temporarily detained. Essential staff are detained permanently.
23:35 AL-C
A firefight begins at a remote border outpost with Sao Escobar between Erjicito Nacional units and PSR militia joined by former ELPC guerrillas attempting to flee the country.
1:20 AL-C
Erjicito Nacional reinforcements arrive, effectively encircling the fleeing leftists. The firefight intensifies.
3:46 AL-C
Infantry of the 4o División Blindada launch the final assault on the interior of the presidential palace.
6:12 AL-C
Soldiers emerge from the palace carrying the corpse of Presidente Miguel Varadero. Cause of death, whether suicide or KIA remains unknown. The flag of Erjicito Nacional is raised over the palace, while the flag of Santo Cervantes is flown at half-mast at sunrise.
7:00 AL-C
General Oswaldo Moura gives a speech to the nation, declaring Erjicito Nacional in a "power-sharing agreement" with the country's intelligence service and "private interests".
8:01 AL-C
The first reports of the previous night's engagement pour in from the border. Over 250 PSR militia, former ELPC guerrillas and other leftist forces were killed in the engagement with another 80 or so captured, with only three dozen total causalities on suffered by Erjcito Nacional in what is now being called "the Massacre of Catamanca".
Generalissimo Oswaldo Moura addresses the nation:
"(In Spanish) Brothers and Sisters of Santo Cervantes. This morning brings a new awakening for our great country which has been mired in the filth and corruption which we once fought so hard to eradicate. These last four years we watched as the economy we worked so hard to build up came crashing down with the policies of neo-soviet children, we watched as the drug cartels we fought so hard to dethrone come creeping back into our society, we watched as the communist putos who battled so hard - losing fathers, brothers, sons to destroy - simply pardoned and let back onto the streets to rape and murder. These last four years have taken us back twenty years - now those are years which must be pried back from the hands of those who stole them from us. Well my brothers and sisters, the only thing the leftist putos understand and care to give us is death and suffering; so for the betterment of Santo Cervantes I say we give them death and suffering in return!
VIVA CERVANTES! "
VIVA CERVANTES! "