Summary
Analysis
John reads about Bokonon and McCabe’s arrival on San Lorenzo. At the time, the locals were destitute and disease-ridden. Before their arrival, the island was a sugar colony under the authority of Philip Castle’s grandfather. San Lorenzo did not have any effective system of governance.
San Lorenzo, though fictional, has a history that is not out of keeping with its neighboring islands. As with those nations, its history represents a tussle between different world powers (which might explain its current state).