Set in a small Latin American border town in political turmoil, the drama begins when a fugitive bursts into the house of two Catholic nuns, who, in an attempt to save his life, hide him from the marauding military patrols despite the danger they face if they are caught harboring a political "enemy". But before the man can escape, the nuns are denounced by a venal neighbor and captured along with the young rebel. Both the town's mayor and their own bishop bring pressure to bear upon the women, telling that the young man's execution is inevitable, and that they must not condemn themselves on his behalf. Their stark moral dilemma soon becomes a matter of life or death. Ana and Ursula, members of a religious order which has vowed not to set itself apart from the masses, are forced to face, with their consciences and their lives, the real-world consequences of their religious beliefs.