It is believed that RCTV demanded him not only an extension (something very usual when a telenovela is very successful) but also a better ending for characters who were very popular but morally questionable, something he was not willing to do.

At the beginning, the main story revolved around the tribulations of elementary teacher Eurídice Briceño, falsely accused of murder, who has to hide under a new identity.

Many show-business journalists placed little confidence on the success of such a story, which was so radically different from both the classic soap opera and the then relatively new movement of "Telenovela Cultural".

The telenovela was surrounded by a lot of controversies, mostly related to a reported glorification of violence and crime, and with the ripped-off-the-headlines late nature of the story.

The success of Por estas calles reportedly drove many independent producers into financial ruin, including the then powerful rival Marte TV, which attempted to produce a rival telenovela with similar themes titled El paseo de la gracia de Dios.