Soraya Montenegro is a fictional character in the Mexican telenovela María la del Barrio. Soraya is the typical villain of Mexican melodramas; she serves as a prominent antagonist and is characterized by violence, jealousy, insanity, and emotional instability. She was portrayed by Itatí Cantoral in the original Mexican series and became one of the most recognizable villains in telenovelas as a consequence of the popularity of María la del Barrio worldwide. Her popularity reached a new peak with the rise of social media, where her performances are enjoyed for being overly dramatic.