Fombombo

In the sweltering heat of Caracas, young Thomas Strawbridge steps into the cramped American consulate, clutching a salesman’s briefcase and a fierce belief in “incorruptible honesty.” The weary consul, a Kentucky expatriate nursing gin and cigars, listens as Strawbridge extols the virtues of American enterprise, hoping to market rifles to a country he barely understands. Their conversation quickly drifts from idle small talk about Virginian roots to a blunt critique of the local business climate, exposing both pride and prejudice.

As Strawbridge learns that Venezuelan law bans the import of firearms to curb endless revolutions, his optimism turns to outrage. The consulate’s dry humor and the country’s chaotic politics frame a sharp, satirical portrait of a foreigner trying to sell weapons in a land where guns change hands far more often than the government does. The opening sets up a clash of ideals, cultural misunderstandings, and the absurdities that arise when commerce meets revolution.