

The Tunnels of Old San Juan
"Rumors of tunnels under San Juan surfaced every year at one time or another...It was speculated that the tunnels had been used to move troops from one defensive position to another without being seen or exposed to enemy fire, which made sense. But others had suggested that the tunnels were also used by the Governor and his officials to travel unobserved to the garrisons, to other government stations, and even to the cathedral to hear mass." Justifiable Evil, Chapter VII, at


The Forts in Justifiable Evil
"The defenses had served San Juan well. Like a giant rock standing tall in a turbulent sea, the city had beaten attack after fierce attack. Sir Francis Drake had attempted to capture it, anchoring a large fleet at the mouth of the bay, but had met unexpectedly ferocious resistance from the sanjuaneros. The coup de grace had occurred one night when Sir Francis, anchored far away from El Morro, had invited several officers to dine in his cabin. As they sat at the table, a cann


The Story Behind Justifiable Evil (Part 1)
Perhaps one of the most interesting and gratifying reactions to the novel has been the desire, by several of its readers, to find out what is real and what isn't. Many people have approached me to ask, "Do the tunnels you write about actually exist under Old San Juan?" "Are the Macheteros a real, covert organization?" "Do the El Abanico defenses, and the secret room mentioned in the book, really exist?" "Are the hidden passages that you describe in La Fortaleza real?" "Is th


Starting to blog
Mario J. Pabon, author of the acclaimed "Justifiable Evil", will start blogging about the locations in the novel, giving readers a "behind the scenes" look at the world of Lucas Alfaro and Angel San Miguel.