"Your plan sounds logical," Krüger said, though hesitation lingered in his voice. "But carrying it out means we must openly declare ourselves against Spain. I don't know whether your father is willing — or able — to do that right now."
He rubbed his temple, thinking aloud.
"If we make enemies of Spain now, we lose our ability to trade. And without money, raising an army becomes extremely difficult. Pesos without products are worthless. Even if we have rich gold mines in the region — even if we seize them — if we cannot trade that gold, it is as good as having none."
Isabella blinked, absorbing his words.
"But first you need enough troops and that takes time," she replied calmly. "And from what my father tells me, we have enough food on this continent to feed ourselves. If we take Maracaibo, they have excellent cattle and salted meat. Apart from a few luxury items and certain tools — which we can already produce here — do we really need anything from Europe? Am I wrong?"
