La Marca del Deseo

Infobox Television
show_name = La Marca del Deseo (The Mark of Desire)


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genre = Telenovela
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developer = Fox Telecolombia
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starring = Stephanie Cayo & Juan Alfonso Baptista
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country = Colombia
language = Spanish
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channel = RCN Televisión (Colombia), Telefutura (USA)
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first_aired = March 24, 2008
last_aired = September 22, 2008
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La Marca Del Deseo (The Mark of Desire) is a Colombian telenovela (soap opera) that has aired on Telefutura and RCN TV.

The story revolves around five young women named Maria Valentina, Maria Soledad, Maria Canela, Maria Claridad, and Maria Alegría who are marked for the same fate and the same curse. Without knowing it, they all set off on the same road to a place called "Pueblo Escondido" where they meet Reynaldo Santibáñez, who is apparently their father. Reynaldo is former sailor who had affairs with five other women in his sailor days because Digna, Reynaldo's wife would not sexually please him. Because of this, Reynaldo in his subsequent loneliness, goes looking for love in the arms of other women. All five women become pregnant and have daughters.

The day Reynaldo Santibáñez married Digna, turned out to the be the worst day of his life. On that day, he and his descendants were condemned forever to unhappiness because of a curse that was set forth by a witch named Carmensa who had lost her daughter who was pregnant with Reynaldo's child the very same day that him and Digna got married due to diffculties in childbirth. Because she blames Reynaldo for her daughter's death, Carmensa curses him : “Their blood will be marked by desire. In every moment of happiness that brings desire, there will be intense pain!" To add the to th curse, the marriage of Reynaldo and Digna will not bring any offspring either. Or, at least, this is the legend that has been woven around the Santibáñez family in the 30 years they have lived in Pueblo Escondido. Supposedly, the curse does not exist because Reynaldo and Digna "were" able to produce a son named Luis Eduardo.

As with every legend, there appears to be some truth in it since the Santibáñez marriage is not a happy one in spite of having everything: a wonderful son, Luis Eduardo, money and power.

Nevertheless, unhappiness was not this family’s major problem, when, one-by-one, the five illegitimate daughters of Reynaldo Santibáñez begin arriving in town. To say the least, the town of Pueblo Escondido is shaken to its very foundation.

The five daughters are Maria Valentina, Maria Canela (chef), Maria Alegría (singer), Maria Soledad (Motocross) and Maria Claridad (Masseuse and Witch), each of whom has her own personality and different way of life, yet are joined by the same desire and by the same father.

The story deals chiefly with Maria Valentina and Luis Eduardo who are in love but, cannot be with each other because they are ostensibly sister and brother. What they don’t know, however, is that Luis Eduardo is not Maria Valentina’s brother.

It is revealed that Digna had an affair with Tomas Murillo, Reynaldo's enemy. Throughout the series, Tomas blackmails Digna in order to lure her to him once again. However, Thomas isn't the only enemy to the Maria's and Reynaldo. Leoparda and Alfredo conspire to try to buy "El Tesoro", an island that brings in revenue to the Santibáñez daugthers, Luis Eduardo, and Reynaldo. Leoparda lives in "El Tesoro" along with Alfredo but Alfredo also has as a secret that nobody barely knows, he had an affair with Ursula, Luis Eduardo's girlfriend/Fiancé while Alfredo has a relationship with Maria Valentina. Maria Valentina and Luis Eduardo try to forget the past between and move forward but can't hide their affections for one another throughout the series as they are with their partners (Alfredo and Ursula). However, Maria Soledad has a sexual relationship with Alfredo that she has yet to reveal.

Reynaldo breaks down right before Luis Eduardo's wedding and he is diagnosed with a heart tumor where he later goes to Houston with Digna, Maria Valentina, and Luis Eduardo.

Digna soon discovers Valentina's relationship with Luis Eduardo and tries her best to separate them with the help of Ursula, who desires Luis Eduardo.

Villains

* Digna Santibáñez (Reynaldo's Wife who sabotages Luis Eduardo and Maria Valetina's relationship in many ways)
* Tomas Murillo( Reynaldo's enemy, Luis Eduardo's real father)
* Leoparda (Secretly loves Manotas, wants "El Tesoro")
* Alfredo (Maria Valentina's boyfriend)
* Ursula (Luis Eduardo's ex-girlfriend)
* Manotas (Worker in Leoparda's Ranch, in love with Leoparda)
* Carmensa (Witch, who cursed the Santibáñez, friend to Maria Claridad)IN THE END CARMENZA TURNS OUT TO BE GOOD MARIA VALENTINA GETS MARRIED WITH LUIS EDUARDO, MARIA ALEGRIA BECOMES A SINGER WITH THE HELP OF HER BOYFRIEND, JAIME, MARIA SOLEDAD GETS MARRIED WITH ALFREDO, MARIA CLARIDAD HAS A BABY GIRL AND NAMES HER MARIA DIGNA LUCERO, MARIA CANELA GETS MARRIED WITH MARTIN SOON AFTER SHE IS PREGNANT. EVERYBODY LIVES HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

Protagonists

* Reynaldo Santibáñez
* Luis Eduardo Santibáñez
* Maria Valentina Santibáñez
* Maria Soledad Santibáñez
* Maria Canela Santibáñez
* Maria Alegría Santibáñez
* Maria Claridad Santibáñez

Other characters

* Esteban (Maria Claridad's boyfriend, Reynaldo's doctor)
* Gabriel (Maria Soledad's boyfriend, Linda's ex-husband)
* Jaime (Maria Alegría's boyfriend)
* Linda (Leoparda's daugther, Gabriels's ex-wife)
* Lulu (Jaime's ex-girlfriend)
* Martin (Maria Canela's boyfriend/future husband)
* Margarita (Maria Soledad's mother)
* Prudencia (Maria Valentina's nanny)
* Anita (Sister of Carmensa, housemaid to Digna)
* Veronica (friend of Lulu's, Esteban's ex-girlfriend)
* Vicente (Margarita's boyfriend, Ursula's father)