“Senior President” Asturias in brief summary
The novel takes place at the end of the second decade of the 20th century. in one of the Latin American countries.
In the evenings, under the shade of the portal of the Lord, beggars and cripples from all over the city are flocking, accustomed to spending the night on its cold stairs. This time they become eyewitnesses of how the silent fool Pelele in a fit of a wild fit kills a passerby who molested and mocked him. In the morning they are all taken to the police station, where the circumstances of the night incident are being investigated, which turned out to be an important political matter, since the victim was Colonel José Parrales Sonriente. The detainees report the same details of the crime they witnessed, but this is not what the military prosecutor wants to hear from them, and the arrested are beaten and tortured, seeking recognition that the murder was committed by General Eusebio Canales and the licensee Abel Carvajal. Only the legless blind man Moskit persists, assuring,
In these April days, the country celebrates the anniversary of the salvation of the President’s Señor, whom Providence saved from the terrorist bomb. During the reception, an incomprehensible rumble is heard, panic is covered by the audience, but it is found that it dropped a large drum that rolls down the steps of the grand staircase. Kara de Angel goes to the house of the brother of the disgraced general, Juan Canales, with the proposal to shelter his niece, but he behaves like a despicable coward, renouncing his brother and condemning him, refusing to take care of Camille, not wanting to defame his unblemished reputation. So do the other relatives of the general. At first, Camila does not believe that this may be, it seems to her that Kara de Angel is blatantly lying, especially after the mistress of the vegetable marrow confessed that she was dedicated to his plans. Soon she is personally convinced, that all turned away from her, from the whole experience she falls seriously ill. The military prosecutor of the denunciations learns of the meeting between Kara de Angel and the general on the eve of his escape and hastens to inform the President of the betrayal of the favorite, but he shields the pet. This police is no good, instead of killing Canales when trying to escape, she ran to rob his property. Arrest Rodas, and then Vasquez, to whom talkableness is costly. Kara de Angel is afflicted by rumors spreading through the city, as if he led off the unfortunate girl at night, dragged him into a tavern and raped him. But he behaved with Camille in a chivalrous way and did not cease to be amazed at his own nobility. How many people he sent to death, and now here saves the life of a drunkard and a fanfaron, Major Farfan, who receives a denunciation. Meanwhile, General Canales after many adventures gets to the border. He opened his eyes to many things, he faithfully served the regime betraying ideals, native land, people. Now he is determined to fight for a just cause and win. The licensee Carvajal appears before the military tribunal. Fourteen witnesses confirm that they saw him and General Canales finish off the unhappy Colonel Parrales. The defendant is sentenced to be shot. Camila at death, Cara de Angel does not depart from bed sick. That’s how it happens: he kidnapped her in order to seize power, but suddenly love rushed like a delusion. He insists that the priest marry him with the dying. An order is issued to appear at the Seigneur’s residence of the President. He is drunk and rude about the favorite. Cara de Angel is tempted to rush at the master and crush the foul laughter in his throat, but remains the same obedient, sensible dog who is satisfied with his portion of scraps, is satisfied with the instinct that saved his life. On the orders of the President’s Senate, the newspapers publish a message about the marriage of his pet, where he heads the list of best men, although in reality nothing of the kind happened. This announcement fell on General Canales’s eyes, his heart could not stand it, and he died in a foreign land.- Kamila recovered, but as if she died without losing her life. She treats everything around her with indifference, and Cara de Angel holds herself as something that belonged to her in this alien world. But youth takes its toll, love also comes to it. If they were not connected by an accident, they would be happy, the spouses reflect. But clouds are gathering over them. Kara de Angel, it would seem, was still favored by the Seigneur of the President and even sent on an important mission to Washington. But in the port he is taken into custody, and the commander of the detention is Major Farfan. Cara de Angel hopes that she will escape the violence, that behavior, boorish tone, severity in handling the prisoner is only a maneuver, because Farfan owes him his life. But hopes do not come true, the major with a sadistic pleasure beats him with a whip to the death. In vain Camila is waiting for news from her husband. Nobody tells her what happened. She has a son, and she lives in seclusion in complete seclusion. In a subterranean single, a prisoner suffers, losing count of days, months and almost going mad. The head of the secret police writes a report to the President, that in accordance with the instruction received, a neighbor was attached to the prisoner of the cell at number twenty seven. Learning from him that in revenge to her husband, who threw her to the mercy of fate, Camila became the mistress of the President’s Senator, the prisoner passed away. And the portal, where the murder of Parrales occurred, is demolished, destroying to the ground.
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