Delia FIallo, mother of telenovelas, dies in Florida, age 96

In this Oct. 24, 2011 file photo, writer Delia Fiallo speaks during an interview in her home in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

MIAMI -

Delia Fiallo, a native of Cuba who was considered the mother of Latin America's telenovelas and wrote dozens of the popular television soap operas, died Tuesday at her home in Coral Gables, Florida, her caregiver said. She was 96.

Fiallo, whose TV hits included "Cristal," "Kassandra" and "Leonela," died just five days before her 97th birthday, her caregiver for the past three years, Blanca, told The Associated Press. She asked to be quoted only by her first name.

The caregiver gave no cause of death but said Fiallo died at her home surrounded by her children.

Fiallo's telenovelas like "Lucecita," "Peregrina," "Maria de nadie," "Pobre diabla" and "Esmeralda" were translated into languages such as Japanese and Czech, reaching millions of people in more than a hundred countries. She finished "Cristal," the last of her 43 telenovelas, more than three decades ago.