It was under this system that trouble began to brew. Surprisingly, much of the revolution involves a single family. While the Toro family name appears again and again, this is easily explainable. Most of the information we have about the rebellion comes from two men, both part of the Toro family. Between their two accounts, members of the Toro family play many key roles. This seems implausible at first, but it stands to reason that one family can indeed be very influential on an island of only forty people.

In November of 1941, an eight year-old Vicunan boy named Peregrino Toro was playing in his mother's garden. He unearthed several rough black stones, and unable to identify them, asked his parents Raul and Ana Toro. They, too, were mystified. They suggested that Peregrino consult his Uncle Policarpo, an avid amateur geologist. And so he did, unwittingly starting off a chain of events that would eventually lead to the destruction of his friends, family, and island home.