The South
American
Alliance is a loosely knit union of Central and South
American
Countries, Drug Cartels, Rebel and Terrorist groups,
and Mercenaries
banded together by the common goals of profit and
Anti-American
sentiment. For the most part these groups hate
any interfering
power not just the United States, including the
nations currently
funding and supporting their cause (EEC, China,
Russia). Formed
in the aftermath of the first Central American
Conflict, and solidified
by their victory in the Second South American War, the
group was dealt
a harsh blow when the U.S. developed designed plagues
wiped out most of cocaine in the region. This
blow was short
lived as soon the Cartels (under the leadership of the
Medellin Cartel) developed a new strain of viral 
resistant Coca,
popularly known by the misnomer Synthcoke. As
the rest of the
world suffered through worldwide economic crashes,
Plague, Drought, and
other disasters, attention was shifted away from the
SAA, the Americans
to the north were in no position to stop the rising
tide of cheap
cocaine that was once again flooding the streets in
greater quantity
than ever before. Without the common enemy, some
of the Cartels
once again focused their attention and violence upon
each other.
However now, with the U.S. once again preparing to
invade, the SAA has
solidified, recruiting every mercenary, rebel, and
terrorist group it
can, and even managing to bring in the rogue caribbean
Islands Of
Blood. They are also using their influence and
most charismatic
voices to try and bring more of their neighboring
countries into the
Alliance.
From the transcripts of
Jose
Klemmano's (a high level SAA recruiter) interview with
nomad journalist
Cheshire, for Dust In The Wind, the nomad weekly news
magazine..."WHY WE FIGHT! You first world Edgerunners get wet in your pants when you get an opportunity for some quick eurobucks and a few smoking brass casings, its just one big cowboy novel to you. South America is not the Alamo and we sure as hell intend to go down fighting. We have seen what continued warfare does; we’ve lived through the “Conflicts” and all the bullshit from all
sides. We will stand for
it no longer. We don’t fight for money or a new car,
but to keep the
control in the hands of the people. You Yanquis claim
you fight for
democracy, but you ain’t been free your whole lives.
Freedom is the
right to grow what you want, smoke what you want,
drink what you want,
vote how you want, and drink some Goddamned clean 
water for once. It’s
not what the Corporations or the Superpowers want to
hear, they want us
to pay them and keep on screwing things up like they
have been. Most of
us were homeless for a long time and things have only
begun to change, we’re
not about to lose our land again. We help the people;
we’re the
Policía around here and we don’t appreciate pendejo
foreigners.
Live here and you would understand!Most of our weapons are left over from the old Soviets and People’s Army, or
surplus supplied by the
Russians and the Chinese, even the
EDF. The rest we take from those who oppose
us. We are the
offspring of the worlds revolutionaries, who actually
gave a shit when
the people of enslaved societies rose up and kicked
hell out of the old
boss men. Some of us only have hunting rifles and
rocks. But what more
do you want, some smart
tracking auto-gun 
with heat-seeking bullets? A gun is
still a gun and if used appropriately, you only need one
shot anyway...Our own people are the most numerous opponents to capitalism and imperialism, most work a day job. They are our vital support line and they are in more danger than any of us, but that doesn’t stop them a damn moment from supporting the cause.
You asked me about uniforms? Hah! If
we dressed alike, you could tell who we are. Most of
us dress in
beat-up work
clothes filled with sweat stains like we just came out of the fields,
which we did. Most of us gave up the day jobs for the long
fight,
we geared up with whatever we could find, we live in
the most remote
parts of the country, stockpile weapons, dig tunnels,
and prepare for
the long haul. We are the thorn in the
side of “Progress.” Most of our gear is old, but still
dangerous.
Others, those who wish to stand and fight and not hide
in shadows, will wear the uniform given us, or try
and make it
ourselves, so we can stand together, arm in arm, gun
to gun, to kick
the fascist oppressers from our country, to send them
home like beaten
dogs with their tails between their legs. 
Not everyone is in it for the people, some of our brothers and sisters sell out in order to get support from one group or another. It is unfortunate, in reality, they’re just choosing which master is going to whip them next. Some of these bastardos fight against us and the people, for profit.
Everyone looks at us as though we are nothing but ignorant peasants, but twice now we have sent the Imperialist Yanquis running home with their tails between their legs. Now they are coming again, and agian we will prove to them that we are men, and fill our trenches with their corpses. Even our children and our women stand up against them, VIVA LA REVOLUCIONE'"
For
more information on the Rebel Forces and
Mercenaries in the world of
Cyberpunk
2020, please see the sourcebooks Chrome Berets,
Solo Of Fortune, and
Solo Of Fortune II.
(Written by Joe "Citizen X" Klemann and Deric "D" Bernier. Images Red Faction, Shadowrun, Rifts, Gurps, Flying Debris, Twilight 2000, D20 Modern, Ukitakamuki, Darwins World, and other unkown artists.)