Artemio Cruz--soldier, politician, journalist, tycoon, lover: all corrupt--lies on his deathbed, recalling the shaping events of his life, from the Mexican Revolution through the development of the PRI--the Party of the Institutional Revolution. His family crowds around, pressing him to reveal the location of his will; a priest provides extreme unction, angling for a deathbed confession and reconciliation with the Church (while Artemio indulges in obscene thoughts about the birth of Jesus); his private secretary has come with audiotapes of various corrupt dealings, many with gringo diplomats and speculators. Punctuating the sordid record of betrayal is Cruz's awareness of his failing body and his keen attachment to sensual life.