America in "Heartbreak Soup"

A running theme I noticed throughout the first half of Heartbreak Soup is the way the characters perceive the United States. They seem to have an idea that it is a land of privilege and wealth. For instance, Manuel is rumored to receive all of his money from an ex-lover who lives in America, a fact that disgusts the people in town who actually work for their money. The children are especially fascinated by Disneyland and are eager to hear all about it from Soledad, who has recently returned from a trip to the states that included a visit to this fabled place. In spite of all of the action that is occurring in town, the children drop everything when they hear that Jesus has spoken to Soledad about his trip. However, his report is less than what they expected. Panels 4-6 on page 39 reveal that he hated Disneyland and the states, and that "Disneyland was just the states in miniature." Although they find Soledad to be a bit odd, the children cannot help but wonder if he is right. There is no mention of Disneyland in the rest of the first half, but this scene stuck with me. Soledad never expressed what it was about America that he did not like, or how these traits were present in Disneyland. We can only assume that he was unhappy there because it was not Palomar. The residents of this Central American town exist in a close-knit culture where any outsiders are immediately deemed suspicious, everyone sleeps with everyone else, and there are virtually no secrets. This is what ultimately leads to Soledad's downfall, for it is impossible for the town to keep Manuel and Pipo's affair from him. While I have no issue with Soledad's dislike of the United States, I am left wondering what it is specifically that he hates so much. One could assume that it was the materialism, commercialism, and media-controlled culture, elements that do not appear to be present in Palomar, but that seems too easy. I hope that this question is answered to some extent in part two of our reading.