A poor Chilean Joaquin Murrieta decides to move to California in gold searches. On his way he meets a beautiful girl who becomes his wife. But their happiness is short. Life of the gold diggers is cruel... After his wife dies Joaquin takes up arms to revenge.

The hero is a cadet of a military school where future defenders of the Pinochet regime are trained. Having survived the collapse of the philosophy of brutality, Jaguar (so he is nicknamed by the cadets for his firm and independent character) joins the ranks of fighters against the existing regime.