Soraya Montenegro de la Vega Montalban is a fictional character in the television series María la del Barrio. She is widely known as the most memorable antagonist of the series. She appeared during most of the program and was portrayed by Itatí Cantoral. Also Paw Diaz played Soraya Montenegro in a Philippine Version.
Character biography[]
In Original Version (in Mexico)[]
Soraya Montenegro was introduced as Victoria Montenegro de la Vega’s niece. She was interested in her son, Luis Fernando de la Vega. She is first shown to be talking about Luis Fernando. Later on, she is offered a deal by her aunt, Victoria. She is promised to marry Luis Fernando if she can help him change his destructive attitude towards life. She is shown to live with her Nana Calixta, the only one who has taken care of her since little. She meets Maria Hernandez, which she takes an instant dislike to. She continues throughout fighting with Maria in order to get Luis Fernando’s affection. She manages to marry him at some point against Maria and Luis Fernando’s wishes.
At some point, she falls off the third floor of her apartment after a fight with one of her lovers, Osvaldo Treviño. She decides to fake her death and is declared legally dead in Mexico. She decides to run away to Houston, United States. After 15 long years, she meets Alicia Montalban in a rehabilitation center. She finds this piece of information useful for her master plan. She uses Alicia in order to get to her father, Oscar Montalban, a Mexican widow. She marries him and soon decides to include herself into his will. She decides to use her doctor, Dr. Meija, to help her cut the brakes from Oscar’s car. After his death, she becomes the legal owner of his fortune.
Soraya returns to Mexico after 15 years with fortune and stature. She begins her revenge against Maria, now married to Luis Fernando, by seducing her son, Fernando “Nandito” de la Vega Hernandez. She manages to turn him against his mother for a while. Maria faces off with Soraya, which finally stops her affair with Nandito. She also kills Dr. Meija, who tried to blackmail her.
Later on, she is thrown into jail because of her attack towards Nandito, Alicia, and her caretaker, Esperanza. She spends a short time in jail, and during her court she is declared innocent. Later on, she plots her final revenge against Maria, by making Luis Fernando drunk and taking pictures of them together in her bed. She also manages to accuse Nandito of killing her Nana Calixta, who in reality is her real mother, which she really did.
Soraya celebrates Maria’s imprisonment. She uses this time to get closer to Luis Fernando, but is stopped in her tracks. While Maria continues in jail, Soraya decides to make Alicia’s life a living hell. She puts tarantulas in her food and locks her in. Later on, she faces off with Esperanza. Soraya continues to fake being a caring mother.
A while later, she learns of Maria’s supposed death in the prison’s fire. But her victory is cut short when she learns that Maria survived but has no memory. She uses this to her advantage, by disguising herself as a nurse and going so far into pretending to be Maria’s friend and nurse.
She kidnaps Maria and decides to tell her how much she hates her. How her life has been downhill ever since she arrived at de la Vega’s mansion. She continues to fight with her and throws her to the floor. When Maria wakes up, she remembers everything and fights with her some more. When Luis Fernando arrives, she decides that if she can’t live happily, then no one should. She decides to set the house they are in on fire. Her dress catches on fire and thus begins to burn her alive. Her life ends screaming how much she hates Maria while burning alive.
In Philippine Version[]
Victims[]
- Calixta Popoca (her biological mother)
- Oscar Montalban
- Dr. Meija
- Mortal Enemy
- Maria Hernandez (portrayted by Thalía & also Erich Gonzales in Philippine Version)
- [edit]Marriages
- Luis Fernando de la Vega (portrayted by Fernando Colunga)
- Oscar Montalban
- [edit]Lovers
- Osvaldo Treviño
- Aldo Armenteros (Tita's boyfriend)
- Fernando 'Nandito' de la Vega Hernández (Maria & Luis Fernando's long lost son & also Agripina's adoptive son)
- Luis de la Vega (portrayted by Enchong Dee in Philippine Version as the replaced of Luis Fernando in Original Version)