Vincente de Santa

A 33-year-old military man. He is governor Allende's man on the ground. Ambitious and unprincipled, Vincente knows that he is fighting a war that he must win because the rebels have put a price on his head. He will do anything and kill anyone. He also has been tasked with procuring young women for his boss.

The de Santa family has a noble Sicilian count's of Santa Flavia origin — their ancestors moved to Latin America in the 16th century. Born in 1877, Vincente de Santa hails from a family of soldiers spanning multiple generations. Believing it would "put the world in his hands", de Santa's parents had him study English for six years under the tutelage of an old woman from Milwaukee. As a result, de Santa would grow to resent his parents. As a child, de Santa's father, General Fabio de Santa, would frequently beat him and call him a girl. Although Vincente hated him for it at the time, he came to realize that the beatings ultimately shaped the person he became.

By 1911, de Santa has ascended to the rank of captain in the Mexican Army, serving under governor and Colonel Agustin Allende in the province of Nuevo Paraíso as his deputy governor. Ambitious and unprincipled, de Santa knows that he is fighting a war, and he has to win as the rebels have placed a price on his head. He will do anything for the Army and kill anyone that tries to stop him.

Character: De Santa is portrayed as a cruel, abusive, and sadistic man. Regularly, he has personally participated in the slaughter of civilians that support the rebels and has willingly kidnapped women to satisfy the sexual appetite of his commander, Colonel Allende. He is also a vicious sycophant, who is not above sending competitors on suicide missions for personal gain; he even makes a man dig his own grave before shooting him. Despite Allende's abuse or perhaps because of it, de Santa seems to genuinely admire and look up to Allende, seeing him as a savior of the Mexican way of life.

It is implied that de Santa is in a homosexual relationship with his servant, Quique Montemayor, as sometimes he is seen taking prolonged looks at the guy, and can be seen with his arms around him. Furthermore, it is implied he has feelings for the owner of the gunsmith in Escalera, who says that de Santa is often kissing him "as if I were his brother" (in Spanish). It is also likely that de Santa's romantic preferences are known to others, because he is the butt of jokes by rebels.

Appearance: He wears the black military uniform of a Mexican Army captain with red shoulder straps and black gloves, a leather belt and a revolver holster. On his feet he wears boots with spurs and chaps. He has medium-length dark brown hair and a clean-shaven face with dark grey eyes.

NPC: • Colonel Agustin Allende (53): The governor of Nuevo Paraíso. The province is in the midst of a rebellion. Many years ago, Allende was an idealist, but he's become a vicious cynic with a love of torture and sexual abuse. Takes pleasure in all manner of vices. He is intelligent, corrupt, and brutal. • Abraham Reyes (30): He is the 30-year-old son of a wealthy nobleman, who has seemingly sided with the peasants and the rebels to drive out the regime that supports Allende and de Santa. He is very vain and he does not seem to really care about the rights of the poor. However, Mr. Reyes does love to give speeches. • General Fabio de Santa (59): A high-ranking member of the Secretariat of War and Navy. Coming from a distinguished family of hereditary military officers, Fabio is close to the current President of Mexico. He is a stern and demanding man, willing to do anything for the honor of his family. • María de Santa (55): Vincente's mother. A sweet and kind-hearted woman who was unable to protect her son from her husband's abuse. She currently lives in Mexico City and helps manage the family estate and 11 textile factories in Puebla. • Quique Montemayor (24): Vincente's servant and secret lover. A young man from a simple family who captured the Captain's heart with his femininity and kindness.