Barbarita is a young mestiza filled with beauty, a mixture of color and a passion for drums. However, she does not know her true origin as the daughter of a black woman from Barlovento, a small coastal town in Venezuela and a white Portuguese man. Barbarita is forced to flee from her hometown after being accused of a crime she didn't commit. To save herself, she poses as another woman and thus comes into the household of the Aristiguieta's, a family full of intrigue which is offended by Barbarita due to the color of her skin.

During a police round-up, Mercedes witnesses the unjust murder of her son, a working-class man, by a police captain. Refusing to accept the official version of the story - that her son was a criminal - she launches a campaign for justice. Santiago, a young journalist moved by Mercedes's passion and determination, begins to investigate the story of the police cover-up at the risk of his own life. As the investigation develops, the film exposes the depth of Venezuela's corruption.