Julio Santiago was the President of the
United North American States from 2253 to 2259. Santiago was largely popular, especially among
Rio-Americans and Mexican-Americans as his progressive reforms tended to favor economic and infrastructural development in the Southern states.
Detractors believed Santiago's agenda was to achieve a state of dominance for the Mexican majority in the UNAS. The most vocal of Santiago's critics accused him of being an agent of the reconquista movement.
Biscayne Bay Incident
Santiago's Presidency was not without controversy. By his own admission, Santiago's biggest failure was the Biscayne Bay Incident of 2256 in which he attempted to contest Cuba's control over South Florida through covert action. UNAS agents including the descendants of Floridian refugees attempted to covertly enter South Florida by sea. The goal was to make landfall in Biscayne Bay, now part of the Miami Exclusion Zone. The landing party had been tracked the moment they entered Floridian waters, and were apprehended by
Confederation of Southern Nations - Confederación de las Naciones del Sur troops after a brief firefight.
The Great Gulf Convoy
In 2257 Santiago redeemed himself on the foreign policy front by successfully negotiating a detente between the UNAS and the CNS when Cuban forces attempted to establish a strategic airbase in Florida, a clear escalation that would potentially draw the UNAS and CNS into war. Many were worried that Santiago would not have the will to stand up to Cuba, while others were worried he'd react militarily in order to avoid seeming weak.
Santiago managed an unorthodox solution by enacting a defacto blockade of Florida. While the
UNAS Navy were not officially blockading the peninsula (and thus not officially antagonizing Cuba), Santiago ordered the largest Naval convoy in human history, traveling between a port in the Gulf of Mexico to an Atlantic base in the state of Carolina (in both directions). Reasons for travel were completely fabricated, ranging from resupply, training maneuvers, to reassignment to the opposing naval theater. The convoy was spaced so that there would always be American ships between Florida and Cuba. Some ships would (seemingly randomly), turn around halfway for fabricated reasons, while others would feign engine trouble to park between the two lands. The goal of the convoy was to force supply ships from Cuba to either divert course or fall into the trap of appearing to be charging for the American Navy ships (thus giving the UNAS Navy the right to intercept and search the vessels.
This action, which came to be known as the Great Gulf Convoy, succeeded in turning back most Cuban ships. This along with careful negotiation by Santiago allowed the crisis to end peacefully, staving off war between the UNAS and CNS for some time.
Reelection
President Santiago was reelected by a slim majority in 2258. This was partially due to the selection of
Tracy Jacob Clark as his running mate. TJ Clark was popular in the Central UNAS states where Santiago saw the most opposition. Though Clark himself was often critical of Santiago's policies, he was seen as a check and balance to Santiago's progressive aims.
During the reelection campaign, a scandal almost cost Santiago the election when accusations of infidelity were brought up in an ad campaign. President Santiago did have a close relationship with Latina actress
Angela Davila, but adultery could not be proven. When Santiago's wife and First Lady came out publicly against the accusations, public opinion swayed back in favor of the incumbent Santiago, even though exit polling showed the scandal was a chief reason for voting against Santiago or abstaining.
Assassination
In an event that shook the nation, Santiago was assassinated during a goodwill visit in Amarillo, Texas on January 1st, 2259, mere weeks after his inauguration. The attack was carried out by an illegally modified
camera drone that still had active press credentials. Ownership was traced to a disgruntled
TASA Marine Corps veteran, Richard Henry Jackson, who had allegedly written a lengthy manifesto against Santiago and his administration. Jackson denied guilt for the crime, but was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Jackson was fatally shot while being transferred out of the courtroom after sentencing. Santiago was quickly seceded by his Vice President, TJ Clark.
Conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Santiago are as varied as they are pervasive, especially since the murder weapon was controlled remotely and all supporting evidence was electronic. Some believe Santiago's political opponents within the UNAS government had him killed when it was clear he would be reelected and continue his pro-Mexican policies. Those who believe this tend to also think President Clark was involved or at least aware of the plot. Others believe Santiago was assassinated by the CNS for his actions against Cuba. A third theory posits that President Santiago was killed by one or all of the remaining Southern Cartels.
Legacy
Santiago's death has cemented him as a martyr for progressives and Mexicans alike. Many Mexican-Americans and Rio-Americans revere him as "Tio Julio," (Uncle Julio) and "San Julio" (Saint Julio - Note: there have been no official motions to canonize President Santiago). He remains one of the most popular former Presidents and is a subject of fascination in pop culture. His assassination and the actions of his successor, President Clark, have been seen as one of the leading causes for Mexican secession and the War of the Americas.
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