The film opens with the shocking assassination of Lieutenant Colonel Zavala /actor/hctor-alterio , a pivotal figure whose fate is sealed after a nightmarish sequence filled with gunfire and chaos. The story takes place in Patagonia, where workers inspired by anarcho-syndicalist ideas rally together to demand better wages and working conditions in the hospitality industry and beyond. The workers' plight becomes a focal point, highlighting the broader struggle for fair treatment and labor rights in a region dominated by powerful landowners and exploitative business practices.
During a union meeting, a boss casually hands over workers' salaries along with an extra fee, taking the money out of his wallet as if it were insignificant—yet to the workers, this sum represents a substantial hardship. This moment underscores the stark disparity between the wealthy and laborers, setting the tone for the unfolding conflict. Initially, the regional authorities, under pressure from local employers, agree to the workers' demands, which gain support from other sectors and parts of the country. However, the government, influenced heavily by the regional elite, orders a crackdown through paramilitary police to suppress union activities and political organizing, despite protests from a local judge who fights against the suppression.
In response, the workers declare a general strike, effectively shutting down key industries such as port operations and wool exports. The Radical Civic Union government, supporting workers’ rights, advocates for union recognition and seeks improvements for agricultural laborers, but their efforts are met with stiff resistance. Employers retaliate by bringing in replacement workers and attacking convoy guards, resulting in violent clashes. Strikers escalate their tactics, setting fires, sabotaging production lines, and even taking hostages as they resist the authorities' efforts to break the movement. These confrontations lead to intense battles between armed police and rebellious workers.
An important aspect of the narrative is a mediation attempt led by Lieutenant Colonel Zavala himself, who is tasked with settling the strike. The intervention, supported by the president Yrigoyen and a judge, condemns police partiality and criticizes the exploitative company store system that keeps workers subjugated. After six tense weeks, an agreement is reached, marking the first-ever collective contract for Patagonian rural workers. The workers, proud and armed, surrender many of the weapons they seized during the struggle. Nevertheless, the victory is short-lived, as the employers, furious about the unfavorable terms, retaliate with mass dismissals and deny service at company stores, further marginalizing the workers.
The workers, determined to enforce the new agreement, plan another strike. Under pressure from Chile and Britain, the government begins rounding up union leaders and militants, leading to a fresh wave of unrest. The movement escalates further when the workers, now taking hostages to protect themselves, face attacks from the Red Council—bandits who had previously participated in violent assaults on replacement convoys and refused to disarm. These bandits exploit the chaos, raiding isolated estates and adding fuel to the conflict.
As the unrest continues, Zavala is informed that the workers have failed to uphold their promise to disarm and are still threats to order. He is urged to "Think of Chile," implying a threat to the borders, and is instructed to suppress the rebellion with overwhelming force to eliminate the perceived socialist or anarchist threat permanently. Zavala's approach shifts to brutal military tactics: firing without warning, surprising the workers, and executing summary killings—often of leaders and even delegations attempting to negotiate, some made to dig their own graves. The relentless crackdown results in the capture of the Red Council during a raid, leading to the surrender of the anarcho-syndicalists, who choose to yield rather than face further violence.
The aftermath of the massacre is devastating. The previous agreement is revoked, wages are sharply reduced, and the oppressive mood persists. The film concludes with scenes of the landowning elite and military officers celebrating their victory. As they toast, they sing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" in English, symbolizing the victory of oligarchic power over the workers' movement and emphasizing the grim reality of repression and control. This harrowing tale exposes the brutality used to crush revolutionary hopes and underscores the stark class disparities that fueled this struggle in Patagonia.
