The South American Coalition, known by the portmanteau CONASUR, is a recent invention, and was the first of the new, self-created superstates to truly challenge what was previously a bipolar world order.  South America had long been tolerated as a land of independent, but ultimately insignificant nations with occasional pretensions to great power status.  The creation of CONASUR in 1948 was a major shock to the established world order, as it was immediately evident that the new state was fully capable of defending itself, and that it wanted no part in the confrontation between the UNA and the FSR.  Though CONASUR is looked up to by the people of the Disrecognized Zones as a sign of things to come, the nation itself prefers its relative isolation and has made no attempts to expand its influence beyond its borders.  The Coalition is, however, an inescapable fact of life for both the UNA and the FSR, and CONASUR observers are everywhere in the world, from embassies to police forces to military units in the field.  Even the FSR Central Committee was forced to admit a South American delegate to its most recent meeting, much to the consternation of the Politburo.  The South American Coalition gained even more clout with its first independent nuclear tests, and though exact numbers are not known, they are believed to be building a sizeable atomic arsenal.