One hundred and forty-six bacteria strains were isolated from eight samples of Venezuelan "Palmita-type" cheese. The strains were subjected to identification and the following species were characterized: Escherichia coli (29 strains), Klebsiella pneumoniae (6 strains), Enterobacter cloacae (5 strains), E. aerogenes (3 strains), Enterococcus faecalis (36 strains), E. durans (3 strains), Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (3 strains), Streptococcus thermophilus (1 strain), Lactobacillus casei (27 strains), coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus (28 strains), and S. epidermidis (2 strains). Among these, L. casei, E. faecalis, and Enterobacter sp., look promising as possible starters for the manufacture of "Palmita-type" cheese from pasteurized milk.