El maleficio
El maleficio (English: "The Curse") is a Mexican telenovela directed by Raúl Araiza produced by Ernesto Alonso for Televisa in 1983. The telenovela was so successful in 1983 that a sequel was made under the title of "" in 1986. Ernesto Alonso starred as the antagonistic protagonist and Jacqueline Andere starred as protagonist, while Humberto Zurita starred as antagonist. Norma Herrera, María Sorté and Carmen Montejo also co-starred. Plot. Beatriz is a respectable widow, who after the death of her husband, dedicated her life to raising her children, Vicky and Juanito, together with her mother-in-law Doña  Emilia. Beatriz meets the powerful millionaire Enrique de Martino, who dazzles her with his attentions and agrees to marry him. Beatriz's life and her children change dramatically when they move to Martino's Mansion, where they come into contact with Enrique's strange children: the perverse Jorge, the sweet but confused César and the enigmatic Raúl. Beatriz also discovers that her husband can be very mean and that he drove his first wife Nora into alcoholism. Meanwhile, Juanito discovers that he has paranormal powers that are awakened by coming into contact with the evil atmosphere that surrounds his stepfather . Enrique is actually a sorcerer who has made his fortune thanks to the dark arts and frequently visits witches in the city of Oaxaca, especially Teodora, who worships a diabolical entity whom he calls "Bael" and who manifests himself through a painting that Enrique jealously guards in his office. At the request of his brotherhood (mafia) led by an Italian based in New York, Luiggi, Enrique starts a mission to choose his successor, who he desires to be at least or even more evil that himself. After numerous tests, Jorge seems to be in the lead. But in some missions , he disobeys, generally driven by a very excessive personal ambition, which makes Enrique hesitate to give the succession to Jorge, but there is no other person so evil. Roberto Ayala, Beatriz's husband, has not actually died and reappears in her life pretending to be his twin Ricardo, whom the brotherhood had actually murdered. Roberto is horrified to see the bad influence that De Martino has on his family. In the middle of it all, Jorge abuses Vicky and makes her pregnant. Enrique forces Vicky to marry Jorge, against the will of Beatriz and Jorge himself. For all their evil , the brotherhood hold a few ironically virtuous ideals. One of them being, "blood should never be denied" and since Jorge pretended not to know his son, he loses the probable line of succession in the group. Because of this, the worst is yet to happen. Enrique has set his evil sights on Juanito to become his successor.