Catalina de los Ríos y Lísperguer was born in October 1604 in Santiago into a powerful colonial elite of Spanish, German, and indigenous descent. Her father, Gonzalo de los Ríos y Encío, descended from Gonzalo de los Ríos y Ávila, a Spanish conqueror, and his wife, María de Encío, sister to one of Pedro de Valdivia’s expedition financiers. Gonzalo held distinguished military and civic roles—maestre de campo, general in the Royal Army, and mayor of Santiago in the years 1611, 1614, and 1619—and owned several prosperous estates where enslaved Black laborers worked fertile lands, including a sugar cane plantation in Longotoma, vineyards and orchards in La Ligua, and the “El Ingenio” farm in Cabildo.

Catalina and her sister María were the only daughters among eight siblings. Both were accused of attempting to poison Governor Alonso de Ribera around 1604—apparently out of spite—but only María was expelled to Peru after facing charges, while Catalina remained in Chile and inherited substantial lands from her father and sister, later becoming known simply as La Quintrala.

Despite her elite roots, Catalina was semiliterate, under the tutelage of her father and grandmother. The evocative nickname “La Quintrala” may stem from a diminutive of her name (“Catrala”) or, as others suggest, hint at her cruelty: she allegedly whipped her servants with branches from the quintral, a parasitic red-flowered plant that matched the fiery hue of her hair. Catalina’s blend of Amerindian, Spanish, and German lineage gave her a striking beauty—tall, fair-skinned, intense green eyes, and vibrant red locks—attributes later chronicled by Bishop Francisco González de Salcedo as “making her very attractive to men”.

Her early life was also shadowed by whispers of the occult. Legends claim that her grandmother, Águeda Flores—herself of high Inca nobility—introduced Catalina to pagan or witchcraft practices. The darkest anecdote from her youth involves the death of her father in 1622. Catalina, then just 18, reportedly served him poisoned chicken. The crime was denounced by her aunt, but due to either lack of proof or her family's clout, Catalina was never questioned by authorities.

In 1626, Catalina was married off—through the orchestration of her grandmother Águeda—to Alonso Campofrío de Carvajal y Riberos, a Spanish colonel from noble Catalan lineage. The union was intended to temper her infamous behavior. He quickly secured public office in Santiago, even supplanting a relative as mayor. Their child, a son named Gonzalo, died between the ages of eight and ten. Catalina then inherited additional property when her sister passed away in Peru around 1628.

In 1660, the Royal Audience launched a secret investigation into the escalating complaints against Catalina, driven in large part by accusations from Bishop Francisco Luis de Salcedo—himself related to a victim, Luis Vásquez. The investigation, led by Justice Francisco de Millán, marked the first significant legal probe into her reputed abuses. Millán removed Catalina, her steward, and her nephew from the El Ingenio estate so that former servants and victims could speak freely about their suffering. Their accounts solidified the case’s legitimacy and were promptly forwarded to Santiago, prompting the Royal Audience’s oidor, Juan de la Peña Salazar, to arrest her and bring her before the colonial court.

In Santiago, a trial commenced, accusing Catalina not only of earlier crimes—such as the alleged poisoning of her father—but also the slow and murderous cruelty toward her servants, with up to 40 deaths attributed to her direct or indirect actions. Public interest in the trial was intense, both because of her social prominence and the sensational nature of the allegations. Yet despite the gravity of the charges, her wealth and connections—including ties with clergy and judges—delayed proceedings. The oidores (judges) often leaned in Catalina’s favor, allowing influence and intimidation to stall the trial. Eventually, the judicial pressure subsided, and Catalina was released without punishment.

Nevertheless, Catalina’s controversies reemerged during her widowhood after 1654, as she regained full control over her vast lands and enterprises, including the feared El Ingenio estate. In January 1662, she faced a new trial—once again accused of systemic cruelty and abuses toward her slaves. This trial, too, garnered attention yet progressed sluggishly, and Catalina’s deteriorating health only deepened the inertia. Her nephew and staunch ally, Jerónimo de Altamirano, died that same year, leaving her increasingly isolated. The case never concluded before her death in January 1665.

In her final days, Catalina issued a detailed will, providing for masses and chaplaincies in the Church of San Agustín—notably to the Cristo de Mayo, a devotional sculpture she revered. She also left minor bequests to friends and relatives, with the remainder of her fortune granted to the Augustinian order. Catalina died on January 16, 1665, at around age 60—considered old for the period—alone yet burdened by myth. Her funeral was grand, and she was interred in the church vestments of San Agustín, though exact location of her tomb remains unknown.