In the 1940s, a small Mexican town has lost three mayors within a short span of time because the citizens have assassinated them. A naive janitor (Damián Alcázar) is recruited to become the new mayor, and he believes he will modernize the little town and usher in a reign of peace. But the system corrupts him very quickly, since it is predicated on bribery.  Soon, the new mayor takes to abusing his power while associating with an unscrupulous assortment of opportunists, hypocrites and criminals.