HipLatina
Photo: Unsplash/@kellysikkema
News and Entertainment

#TBT: 7 of The Best (or Worst?) Telenovela Villains of All Time

by V. Alexandra de F. Szoenyi

Each week, we take a look back at the people, places, and things that left their mark on Latino history and/or pop culture in a segment we call #TBT. This week, it’s a fun spotlight on some of the malas from your favorite novelas.

 

Catalina Creel (played by Maria Rubio)

Catalina Creel is the iconic villain from the 1986 novela Cuna de Lobos. Sporting her signature eye patch, Catalina proceeded to kill everyone she felt got in the way of her large inheritance.

 Soraya Montenegro de la Vega Montalban (played by Itati Cantoral)

Thanks to a ton of viral memes, probably the most over-the-top villain, Soraya Montenegro, has become popular once again. She made Thalia’s character’s life a living hell in 1995’s Maria la del Barrio. [Drama in Spanish]

Angelica Lopez de Santibanez (played by Chantal Andere)

Poor Thalia. In her Maria series (Maria Mercedes, Maria la del Barrio, and MariMar), she was always being bullied by some rich chick. MariMar’s resident bully was Angelica, played perfectly by Chantal Andere.

Paola Bracho (played by Gabriela Spanic)

Gabi Spanic, who is an identical twin in real life, got to play twins Paulina and Paola in 1998’s La Ursurpadora. Paola blackmails Paulina into taking her place in her marriage while she runs off with her lover.

Tamara de la Colina (played by Cynthia Klitbo)

Lying about who your baby daddy is? Check. Doing this so a man who loves someone else will marry you? Check. Doing everything to destroy the other woman? Check. Tamara did all this in El Privilegio de Amar, which aired from 1998 to 1999.

Rubi Perez (played by Barbara Mori)

The namesake of 2004’s Rubi, grew up poor, but did whatever it took to become rich, like the kids at her school. This included dumping her true love, so she can take her friend’s man.

Yesica Beltran, a.k.a. La Diabla (played by Majida Issa)

Majida Issa may have only been playing Yesica Beltran on Sin Senos Si Hay Paraiso since 2016 (her character was interpreted by other actresses previously), but her character has destroyed everything in her path since then—she’s called La Diabla for a reason. The only things that matter to her are money, power, and her daughter—and the last one is debatable.

@2023 - HipLatina