# Pablo Barrios — Nostromo character guide

> Pablo Barrios in Nostromo by Joseph Conrad.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Barrios, Ignacio, General Barrios

**First appearance:** 0003-nostromo

## Snapshot

A portly, loyal general commanding Sulaco's government troops, Barrios is a soldier of the old school whose courage is matched by his sluggishness.

## Who they are

General Barrios commands the government forces in Sulaco, a heavy, good-natured soldier whose fidelity to the Ribierist cause is unquestioned but whose energy is not. He embodies the creaking, well-meaning military establishment that must hold the province against Monterist insurrection, and his movements — or lack of them — shape the desperate calculations of Decoud, Gould, and Nostromo in the novel's middle stretch. His loyalty is real; his effectiveness is the open question.

## In the story

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nostromo_se/chapters/ii)

Commands the troops being sent against Montero, promising to capture Montero in a wooden cage. He expresses a desire to retire to his land after the war.

### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nostromo_se/chapters/iv)

Departs Sulaco to fight Montero; reassures Europeans and Mrs. Gould; known for his honesty, bravery, and eccentric shabby uniforms.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nostromo_se/characters/pablo_barrios
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nostromo_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nostromo_se/characters