Yuliana

Yuliana is the central recurring character in the collection who unites many of the stories. As the wealthy heiress to a powerful drug cartel, she holds far more material power than most of the other women depicted. Yet her experience shows that even extreme wealth and influence do not offer true protection in a world dominated by male violence and other social prejudices. Despite her privileged position, she remains an outsider in the elite circles she moves in; the upper-class girls at her private school mock her as naca (low class) highlighting the limits of money in overcoming deeply ingrained social prejudices.

Yuliana’s power is most starkly tested after the murder of her best friend, Regina. Although Yuliana is in a position to act where other women might be helpless, she discovers that even her resources cannot force the men around her to seek justice. Regina’s...