Born as María Esther Heredia Lecaro in Guayaquil, she was the daughter of a colonel, and lived a life among the upper-class elite, attending social functions and art classes.
Rođena u Guayaquilu kao María Esther Heredia Lecaro, bila je kći pukovnika i živjela život među elitom gornje klase, obnašavši socijalne funkcije i pohađavši sate umjetnosti.