In Bolivia's Amazon basin, corporate cattle ranches are replacing the rain forest. When Santos, charismatic leader of the union of rubber tappers, forges an alliance with Native Americans in the United States to protest deforestation, he is assassinated. O'Brien, a US photo-journalist who has no skills as an investigator, wants a story when he thinks the police have framed and murdered an innocent Native as the assassin. In his search for the truth, he involves Alyssa Rothman, who worked for Santos and with whom he falls in love. As he gets deeper into trouble with the cops and the real assassin, he needs not only Alyssa's help but also that of the Natives' leader.