Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. María Elena Saldaña, also known as La Güereja, is a Mexican television actress whose career dates back to the mid-1980s. Saldaña, who is a midget, has achieved fame over the years with her portrayal of a little Mexican girl named Mariquita Castro Pérez, who is nicknamed "La Güereja". A native of Veracruz, where she was most likely born on July 23, 1962, Saldaña (pronounced Sal-dan-ya) started acting while in school. During one class, in which the kids sang or recited poetry, Saldaña knew a story about a little girl much like herself, and with a classmate, performed a sketch in which Saldaña portrayed that little girl, the forerunner to her eventual "La Güereja" character. She then performed her act on a television station in Veracruz, and this led, in 1984, to Mexico City and a contract with Televisa.