Val Verde (fictional country)

Val Verde is a fictional country or city used by Hollywood writer and producer Steven E. de Souza when his stories require a South- or Central-American locale that will not cause legal or diplomatic problems. The location first appeared in his 1985 film Commando.

The name translates as "Green Valley", as "Val" is the Portuguese, Italian, and Spanishapocopic word, the old-fashioned French word, and Friulian, Galician, Piedmontese, Romansch and Venetian words for "valley". The country is based on Cuba, Nicaragua, and Colombia.

A fictional country carrying the name of Val Verde has appeared in a number of films, television programs, and comics by de Souza:

Outside of de Souza's own work, there are other appearances, either linked by shared personnel, or as a direct reference. For example:

Steven de Souza explained his reason for using Val Verde in his Sheena comic:

Val Verde has principally been used as a plot device or location in place of real Latin American countries in action and adventure movies, as a particular result of the United States' rocky relations with many nations in the region during the 1980s.

When glimpsed in Commando, it appears to be a poor nation, where subsistence agriculture (i.e. livestock) is side-by-side with military propaganda and constant military presence. Inhabitants appear poor but happy, and there is evidence of a trade embargo reminiscent of that placed on Cuba in the presence of battered but functional vintage 1950s cars.

In Commando, Val Verde is presided over by President Velázquez, an apparent puppet leader installed by an American-backed revolution assisted by Colonel John Matrix (Schwarzenegger) and Captain Bennett (Vernon Wells), during which the nefarious General Arius was deposed. Bennett later aligns himself with Arius when Matrix discharges him for disregard for order, and they force Matrix to help him reinstate Arius' dictatorship, but are thwarted when Matrix fights back and kills them all.

In Predator, the country is described as being invaded by communist inspired revolutionaries. The rebel camp attacked by the team has at least one "Russian Advisor".

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