Political struggles in Venezuela since 1921, during the military dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez. The uprising of the liberals and the popular army that is formed. The bloody civil war that takes place and the process that precedes the establishment of democracy. After a failed attempt on Eustoquio Gómez's life, governor of the region and brother of the dictator of Venezuela, the Gómezist army launches a fierce persecution against the inhabitants of Queniquea. They turn to Juan Pablo Peñaloza, head of the liberal army, who attacks the government forces. In a confrontation between the two sides, Peñaloza's son is killed. He continues with the "revolution" after challenging Eustoquio to a personal battle.

A young peasant farmer has a feud with a heartless landowner which results in the landowner killing the peasant's cattle which result in the peasant killing the landowner which for the man goes in to hiding for more than 40 years, hounded by the murdered landowner's son obsessed with finding his father's killer.