It is an adaptation of the book La fiesta del Chivo (The Feast of the Goat) from Mario Vargas Llosa based on the history of Dominican Dictator, Rafael Trujillo.

In a confusing event, he meets Mariana Durán, his current wife, who saved him from death.

Some time later, Rafael enters the army and forges a career of several years that leads him to the rank of general.

From this position, he forges a coup against the dictator at the time, Eusebio Porras.

After an interim period in the governing military junta, Trujillo took power after a suspicious Dominican election that had him winning over a lot of opponents (students and guerrillas).