The Liberator Page #3

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He considered the fort a lost cause.

But the fort was an imminent threat.

Miranda doesn't believe the patriot

army can win against the royalists.

He's already signed the surrender.

He sails at dawn for England.

That's not a surrender.

lt's treason.

l am General Miranda!

Let me go! Release me!

Do you have something to do

with all this?

General, you're under arrest

for betrayal

of the Venezuelan Republic.

How can l betray something

that does not exist?

You have made a mistake.

A huge unforgivable mistake.

Do you really think that because

of this, they are going to follow you?

You have had only one mission

in your life, Bolivar,

and you failed.

-Who is it?

-l bring General Francisco de Miranda!

-Don't shoot! l'm not armed.

-Halt!

l bring General Francisco de Miranda!

Arrest them!

Arrest them both!

You are more foolish than l imagined,

Bolivar.

Did you think we would surrender

because you gave us Miranda?

However, these documents

will protect you.

They'll be your safe conduct

out of Venezuela.

General, this man

is an enemy soldier.

lt's clear that he has had a good time

in interrogation.

But in reality this gentleman

has brought us General Miranda.

lf we let him go,

he will join that patriot troops

on the other side of the border.

This little rich boy is not a threat.

And he has served the king

better than any of you.

That's why. . .

l did not turn over Miranda

to serve the king.

l did it because he betrayed

the ideals of the Republic.

Don't mistake yourself, Monteverde.

The ideals of the Republic?

lsn't equality one of them?

How fortunate you mention that.

Because it's your rich friends

that have got you your liberty.

Your impoverished countrymen are,

at this time, rotting in prison.

And, for following

your republican ideals

and to put you all on the same level,

we confiscate your lands

and belongings.

Your fortune,

except for your old family home,

now belongs to the Crown.

You will be exiled

to the Cartagena jungle.

lmagine a man of noble birth

among murderers, slaves and mestizos.

You can share your ideals with them.

Take him!

Look. Look.

What is he doing here?

l'm a patriot soldier.

We're on the same side.

l've come to join you.

Thank you.

Who stole my boots?

Who took them?

Do you hear me or not?

Where are my boots?

Don't kill him! Don't kill him!

Don't kill him!

Don't kill him, sir, kill me!

He's my son!

He's my son!

He's my son!

I'm ashamed of my own bIindness.

Man's true destiny is freedom.

The wish to be free

is Iike a naturaI impuIse.

It's an impuIse

that comes from the gut.

It's Iike...

lt tastes good.

It's Iike Iaughing. . .

. . .Iike breathing.

Who can stop the rain?

Who can stop the wind?

Who can stop the earth

when it trembles?

Who?

No one.

Consequently,

no one can stop peopIe

who have awakened their hunger

for freedom.

The Spaniards came to this country

and caIIed it their own.

They took our Iand

and ensIaved our peopIe.

We've been humiIiated century

after century,

and trod upon by heavy boots.

The Spanish have wanted to make

the desire of freedom vanish

from this country,

but they have faiIed.

They have faiIed

because the desire for freedom

is a seed that sIeeps in the soiI

waiting for a rainfall

that will germinate it.

We must bring a torrential rain

that washes away the arrogance,

the pretension,

the profiteering, the indolence,

and the indifference of those who

have oppressed us for so many years.

This continent is waiting for a flood.

A flood that finally

inundates it with liberty.

And we are going to bring that flood.

The flood starts today.

Who are you?

l am the people!

Grab the rifles!

Everyone be watchful!

l'm looking for Colonel Simon Bolivar.

l'm Simon Bolivar.

l'm Colonel Francisco de Paula

Santander.

The governor of Cartagena sent me.

Have you come to arrest me,

Colonel?

No.

We're your reinforcements.

Every time we got to a village,

you had gone.

But the Spaniards, too.

Then we realized that the man

we were trying to arrest

had liberated

the entire Magdalena River.

As you know, Cartagena's government

is still under Spanish control.

But we want to help your cause

as discreetly as possible.

A lot of people thought

you didn't exist.

That you were just a myth

made up to give poor wretches hope.

Your victories created

a lot of confusion.

The slaves and others

distorted your words to their liking.

They took over farms

that did not belong to them by force.

l understand.

That is to say, that it was only

to protect the big estates.

Freedom without law is anarchy,

Colonel.

And laws that only protect

the privileged are tyranny.

We leave in the morning.

Where are we going, Colonel?

-Halt!

-Halt!

Stop!

We'll cross the river

and set up camp on the bank.

No. l am not allowed to.

The other side belongs to Venezuela.

My orders are to stay here

within New Granada.

The Spanish are in Venezuela

and don't expect us.

Without permission from Cartagena

l can't go.

We can't wait, Colonel. The only

advantage we have is surprise.

Laws must be obeyed.

These are my reinforcements,

Santander.

Yes. But they are under my orders.

Even at war,

legality must be obeyed, Colonel.

This is not a war.

This is a revolution.

That is a technical distinction

that in no way substitutes

the correct hierarchy

of the chain of command.

You talk like a lawyer,

not a soldier.

-l am a law-abiding man.

-And laws are for the people.

We should let the people decide.

Sons of New Granada.

Our orders are to stay here

and protect the border.

Colonel Bolivar wants

to take the fight to Venezuela.

You all must know that we aren't

allowed to cross the border

and there's no need

to risk your lives.

And even less

to spill Granada blood.

My brothers!

This is not a border.

This is a river.

When the Spaniards came,

they called it a border,

and they divided us.

But we are all sons of America

on both banks.

Venezuela and New Granada.

Don't let them separate us.

lf one side falls,

the other will, too.

This will be a tough battle.

But by crossing this river,

you will erase the borders.

And those that don't come back,

those that have the honor

and the privilege

to shed their blood for our cause,

they will at least have the blessing

to be buried in a land that is free.

ln a free country!

Let's go on!

Stay calm.

Who did this?

My boy.

Why did they do this to you?

Because we're patriots.

From now on we will repay them

the same way.

-Guards!

-Guards!

Fire!

Present arms.

-Long live the King!

-Fire!

Liberator.

Hipolita.

lt's me, Mother.

Simon.

Simon, son!

Aren't you staying, my boy?

When will l see you again?

This is not over, mother.

Don't be fooled by the celebrations.

The Spanish will be back soon.

King Fernando will never give up.

You know why l can tell you this?

Many years ago l played against him.

And he's a really bad loser.

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