Antonio is a Guatemalan immigrant and former university student who finds himself suddenly homeless on the streets of Los Angeles. Traumatized by the murders of his wife and young son in Guatemala, he suffers from depressive episodes and feelings of displacement. When he accidentally spots the soldier responsible for his family's deaths in a local park, his grief transforms into an obsessive drive for retribution.

Longoria is a former sergeant in the Guatemalan Army's Jaguar Battalion who now works at a mail-shipping business called El Pulgarcito Express in Los Angeles. Kidnapped and forced into military service as a teenager, he developed a highly regimented lifestyle and a capacity for extreme violence to survive. He carries a distinctive jaguar tattoo on his arm, a mark of his past that he views with pride but which terrifies those who recognize its origin.

Elena is Antonio's wife and a passionate social reformist from their days as university students in Guatemala. She balances her dedication to improving public sanitation and challenging oppressive systems with her responsibilities as a new mother. Her idealism and refusal to ignore the suffering of the poor eventually draw the dangerous attention of government authorities.

José Juan is a cheerful and industrious Mexican immigrant who shares an apartment, and subsequently the streets, with Antonio. He maintains an optimistic demeanor despite his poverty and the constant pressure to send money back to his wife and children in Mexico. He serves as a steadying presence for his grieving friend.

The Mayor is a vocal white homeless man who actively resists the city's treatment of displaced individuals. He files lawsuits against local authorities and challenges the systemic marginalization of the poor. He represents a politically engaged facet of the encampment community, refusing to accept the invisibility forced upon him.

Frank is a resourceful African American man living on the streets of Los Angeles, formerly of Skid Row. He shares practical knowledge about securing food and water with the newly evicted arrivals and acts as a grounding source of advice for the men navigating their new reality.

Reginalda is a seemingly carefree woman who dates Longoria. She accepts the rigidly scheduled nature of their relationship, seeing him roughly once a week, though his emotional distance and secretive nature occasionally cause friction between them.

William is a right-wing Salvadoran immigrant who owns a shipping business serving Latinos sending goods back home. He favors Longoria due to the man's military background and relies on him to handle angry customers when company theft occurs.

Carlitos is Antonio and Elena's young son. His life in the Guatemalan countryside is cut tragically short during a military raid on his family's home, an event that shatters Antonio's world.

Hwang is the Korean apartment manager who evicts Antonio and José Juan for failing to pay rent. Their language barrier intensifies the dispute, culminating in a physical altercation that forces the roommates onto the street.

García is a highly skilled Cuban chess player who frequents the local park. He openly criticizes Longoria's conservative, defensive playing style, unaware of the man's violently aggressive history.

Lopez is an army veteran who trained at Fort Bragg alongside Longoria before settling in South-Central Los Angeles. Despite achieving homeownership, he suffers deeply after a local gang tragically shoots his son.

Mrs. Gómez is a nosy but ultimately protective neighbor in the Guatemalan countryside. She heavily involves herself in local gossip and the town's conservative religious committees.

Van der Est is a Belgian priest assigned to San Cristóbal because he supposedly avoids politics. He angers local religious women by physically throwing their Virgin statue down the steps to protest their adoration practices.