At The Militant's centre is Ariel (Felipe Dieste), a student activist far more involved in activism than studying. Upon learning of his father's passing, Ariel abandons his life in Montevideo and returns to his hometown of Salto, just in time to witness his father's burial — and to be assailed by the man's notary, who gently insists they meet as soon as possible to discuss the many debts Ariel's father had accumulated. Ariel's father had a house, but it's being taken over by his father's mistress. He also had a cattle ranch, but the ranch hands haven't been paid in six months; the property is now co-owned by the notary, who wants to sell off the cattle to recoup his investment and settle some of the debt. More accustomed to negotiating protest strategies than balancing a ledger, Ariel is in over his head. He is also on the cusp of real adulthood.