Why did Carlos stop at the 'Owl Ranch'

Why did Carlos Rueda stop at the "Owl Ranch" when he was so close, the prison was just on the other side of the building? Yet he seemed to give up at that point.

Otherwise I thought the film was excellent. I have never liked the "magical realism" genre of latin american literature in films but this time it worked for me. Perhaps because it was balanced by plenty of reality. Also the main character was a playwright and director so it seemed logical that his resistance would manifest itself in the way it did.