Herod’s Law

A naïve head of a landfill who ascends to political power and progressively embraces corruption. He learns to manipulate the system, impose heavy fines, and extract wealth, all while maintaining the veneer of legitimacy. His moral decline and reliance on fear and coercion drive the town’s transformation.

The town brothel madam who leverages money and influence to shape Vargas’s decisions. She tests his resolve with bribes and threats, and becomes a catalyst for his early crimes. Her continued presence reveals the town’s tolerance of exploitation under corrupt rule.

Vargas's wife, who is initially supportive but grows disillusioned as his corruption deepens. She ultimately elopes with the American, taking the money with her, signaling the collapse of their partnership.

The governor's subordinate who assigns Vargas the interim presidency, enabling his rise. He later flees after plotting a failed political assassination, illustrating the collateral damage within the power structure.

A pragmatic official who suggests Vargas for the role and navigates the shifting political terrain as the landfill administrator later on. He embodies bureaucratic opportunism fueling the town’s rot.

The town drunk who becomes a pawn and is killed to conceal Vargas’s crimes. His death underscores how the vulnerable are exploited and discarded by those in power.

An educated town figure linked to the opposition who Vargas frames as a conspirator. He is exiled as part of Vargas’s attempts to erase accountability.

Vargas’s secretary who denounces him as the worst municipal president. His defiance helps surface the town’s discontent and challenges Vargas’s legitimacy.

Doña Lupe’s enforcer who Vargas kills during a confrontation, marking a turning point in his consolidation of power.

The state governor who orders a replacement to secure party control around elections, embodying the political machine behind Vargas’s ascent.

The interim mayor chosen to fill the vacancy, illustrating the recurring pattern of power turnover in corrupt local governance.

A newly appointed mayor arriving to San Pedro, continuing the cycle of political control that mirrors Vargas’s own arrival.