Who Killed Palomino Molero
The story is basically about the murder of a young boy who was either drafted or enlisted in the base and is named palomino molero. The first chapter begins with the description of the boy’s corpse hung on the old carob tree. The description brought me goosebumps because the death suffered by Palomino is a pitiable one and is beyond my imagination. The boy’s mouth and nose being slit and his testicles pulled out to his thighs are the extremes of inhumanity.
In order to interpret this brutal killing , the author writes “it was one thing to imagine it (referring to the situation while the boy was describing the situation)and quite another to see it and smell it. ” The first chapter gives a brief view on the character of officer Lituma who is the one to have witnessed the tortured corpse. This chapter also gives an idea about officer Lituma’s friends and the friendship they share. They have their own theme song and they are known as ‘the unstobbables’.
Even at the bar with his friends he cannot quite get the unpleasant incident out of his mind. There is an element of concern within him and a strong determination to find those cruel murderers of Palomino molero. The second chapter introduces the boy’s mother Dona Asunta. It also describes her lifestyle and the place in which she lives in. Lust and superstition are two other elements found in the story. Lieutenant Silva has strong sexual desires for Dona Asunta inspite of the fact that she is married and has children.
Superstition arises when the Dona asks Lituma if he had found the guitar that belonged to her son because the fortune tellers had told her that the day the guitar is found that would be the day the murderers would be revealed to them. This chapter also tells us that Palomino was a great singer and a harmless lad who would not even hurt a fly. This chapter also introduces a character named Moises nicknamed Dumbo because of his unusually long ears. It ends with Lituma questioning Dumbo, about his brutal death and trying to come up with reasons to his brutal killing. In my opinion the story is quite exciting and it keeps me wanting to know more.
