| Genre: | Telenovela Drama |
| Creator: | Delia Fiallo |
| Starring: | Lupita Ferrer José Bardina Renee de Pallas Chelo Rodríguez |
| Opentheme: | "La Zulianita" by Willy Chirino |
| Language: | Spanish |
| Country: | Venezuela |
| Location: | Zulia Caracas |
| Company: | Venevisión |
| Channel: | Venevisión |
| Num Episodes: | 235 |
| Executive Producer: | José Enrique Crousillat |
| Director: | Grazio D'Angelo |
| Related: | Maria de nadie (1986) Maribel (1989) Morelia (1994) Un Refugio para el Amor (2012)[1] |
La Zulianita is a Venezuelan telenovela written by Cuban writer Delia Fiallo and produced by Venevisión in 1977.[2]
Lupita Ferrer and José Bardina starred as the main protagonists[3] with Chelo Rodríguez as the antagonist.
María Marta Domínguez is a humble provincial girl from Zulia who goes to Caracas in search of new and better opportunities, though she does not possess skills to help her land a job. When she reaches Caracas, she stays with her cousin who works as a prostitute in a bar called "La Zulianita". One night, while working at the bar, an unscrupulous client called Lastra who is the Zulianita Promotions Specialties, tries to take advantage of María, but she defends herself. Outraged, Lastra accuses her of stealing his wallet. María is sent to jail, but is soon released through the help of Claudio Linares, a kind lawyer dedicated to helping people who have no resources, since he too was imprisoned unjustly.
María gets a job at the home of the Arocha's, a wealthy family in the city. The family is composed of Felipe Arocha, his wife Amelia, their children Juan Carlos who is an engineer, Jesus and Jenny, his aunt Olga and her children Diana and Tony. Back in the house, María meets and falls for Juan Carlos, although Claudio, who has since become a close friend to María, advises her that this family cannot be trusted because they sent him to jail accusing him of the death of his wife and daughter. María and Juan Carlos started a romance, and he breaks off his engagement to his girlfriend Idania Ferran.[4]