Eva Luna

A week after the flooding, the army massacres a group of rebelling political prisoners in an Army Operations Center. The government publishes a false account of the massacre, claiming that the death toll resulted from the prisoners fighting among themselves. Rolf obtains the real story from the guards themselves and puts pressure on the government, leading them to publicly denounce the massacre and transfer several guerillas previously held at Fort El Tucán to Santa María.

Eva is contacted by El Negro, who brings her to Naranjo. Naranjo explains that he and the guerillas have formulated a plan to break their comrades out of Santa María. They will steal uniforms from Eva’s former employer and disguise themselves as Army officers to sneak into Santa María. Mimí discourages Eva from participating, cautioning her not to throw away the comfortable lifestyle they have worked so hard for. She believes that “men like Naranjo can’t ever change” (303) and will become corrupt as soon as they gain power. When Eva cannot be swayed, however, Mimí joins the conspirators, drawing Naranjo a map of Santa María from memory.

When Naranjo debates how to get the prisoners out of their cells and into the yard where they can be rescued, Eva remembers the Universal Matter invented by her former patrona.

El Negro drives Eva to the camp of a local Indigenous tribe who have agreed to assist the guerillas. They do not believe in the guerrillas’ lofty promises but want retaliation for the brutality visited on them by the army. They expect retaliation for their role in the escape and have already planned to move deeper into the jungle, hoping the dense flora will shield them. Along the way, they stop in Agua Santa so Eva can visit The Pearl of the Orient. Riad does not recognize Eva—he has remarried to a young teenaged girl. Eva leaves satisfied that he is happy.

At the camp, Eva meets up with arriving guerrillas and is surprised to see Rolf among them. He is there to document the escape at the request of Naranjo.

Together with Rolf and the guerillas, Eva mixes a quantity of Universal Matter to the consistency of bread dough. The plan is to send the “dough” to the prisoners, who will mold it into fake grenades used as leverage to get out of their cells.

After a sleepless night, Eva says goodbye to Naranjo, who warns her that he will have to go into hiding after the escape. She realizes she is no longer in love with him but loves him like a brother. Eva takes a bus back to the city, where she frets about the outcome of the escape attempt and worries that Naranjo and Rolf might be dead. Two days later, Rolf arrives with good news: The fake grenades worked, and the nine guerillas were rescued. He brings Eva to La Colonia to hide out until the uproar has passed.

When news of the escape breaks, the story is heavily altered to frame the guerillas as violent instigators. In truth, the guerillas used the fake grenades to orchestrate their escape without a single drop of bloodshed. Rolf recorded the entire rescue, so he asks Eva to write the real story into her upcoming telenovela and use some of his film. Eva agrees to do so.

Another round of presidential elections takes place, and the opposition candidate defeats the incumbent President. Eva’s telenovela, Bolero, airs, confusing and delighting audiences with its cast of unbelievable characters. Shortly afterward, Eva is called to the office of General Tolomeo Rodriguez. She is afraid, but Rodriguez tells her that he has read the entire Bolero script and is a fan. His only request is that she remove the detail about the grenades made from Universal Matter, because it is “totally unrealistic” (341).

Rodriguez tells Eva that the guerilla movement has been defeated, but the new President is willing to offer amnesty to the remaining fighters if they re-integrate into society. Additionally, he will legally recognize the Communist Party. Rodriguez asks Eva to persuade Naranjo to accept the offer. Eva has a vision of Naranjo working in Congress, “fighting [. . .] the same battles he was now fighting with a rifle” (343) and smiles. Rodriguez asks her if there is still hope for their relationship, but Eva responds that her love for Rolf will last forever.

Rolf returns to the capital for a time to cover the fallout from the escape. His reporting stirs up so much controversy that he is sent back to La Colonia. Upon seeing Eva writing under a eucalyptus tree, he takes her into his arms and kisses her, realizing his love for her. They announce their relationship to the family and are soon married. Eva leaves the outcome of their love story open, writing two different endings: One sad ending in which their love wears out, and one happy ending, in which the pair lives happily ever after.