Who is ‘Epa Colombia’ and why does she have so many followers?

*This interview was carried out a few months ago, before knowing the verdict with which the influencer was sentenced to 63 months in jail.

Three million followers on social networks. 230 employees. Six hair salons. However, if the life of Daneidy Barrera, the controversial influencer, comes down to numbers, she prefers to talk about a second chance. In this interview, she told her story to EL TIEMPO's School of Multimedia Journalism, class of 2021-I.

She spoke about drugs, religion, regrets, mental health, success, entrepreneurship, the famous keratins and why she says that Colombia is a classist and homophobic country.

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Epa Colombia’s videos don’t fit into one single category. There are controversial ones, such as the time she broke a turnstile, glass, and equipment at a Transmilenio station using a hammer in the middle of protests. Or when she promoted the services of sex workers from the trans community. She records videos from her house’s terrace, in the middle of a puddle, or on old broken buses. In her networks, she talks about the daily life of low-income neighborhoods. Moreover, she comes up with cheerleading routines and before the pandemic she used to record herself in nightclubs working as a DJ.

She studied sports training at SENA but didn’t finish. “When I made the first viral video of Epa Colombia, they expelled me, because they said that I was not giving a good example and that they did not need people like that”, she says. That video, however, was shared by the president at the time, Juan Manuel Santos.

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They are the best memories I have of my life because that is where I learned to be a strong and courageous woman. The street is where you meet people who have different needs, who sell their products on a corner waiting for someone to buy. When you grow up seeing that, you become very brave. You learn to value life.

I did not have a good education. Since I was little my mother used to say that I was very hyperactive and annoying. I used to draw a lot of attention to myself because I could never sit still.

Because of that, they didn’t like me at my schools. Also, I had very bad friends. All my friends used drugs and I did not use drugs at first, but they told me: “do it, try it, take a risk, it is really cool” That was when I got involved with drugs even though I didn’t need them because despite the fact that my parents did not have that much money and we did not do so well in the madrugón sells, we always had food on the table and school supplies. But I got carried away because of my friends, I’ve always been easy to persuade.

Yes, I was studying at SENA. Some of my classmates said they were going to watch Colombia’s soccer match. I told them that I was not going to them because I didn't even have money to buy a beer. So, I told my mom to buy me a jersey from the Colombian team and she told me that I wanted it to go out to drink and she bought it herself. So, I recorded myself saying: “Hello everyone if you have to watch the match by yourself you are on my team. What’s important is to have good health and peace. (…) E, e, e, e, epa Colombia, nice, nice, nice, ha ha ha ha ha, mua ”.

Because I have friends from the LGBT community and they always say “epa la arepa, epa el chorizo” and I thought to myself: “Why not say 'epa Colombia' if we are in a party?” So, I made that video, but it didn’t go viral immediately. The following day when I went to study at SENA they told me: “That is so embarrassing, you became famous, delete that video.” And I told them I wouldn’t do it. Since I was little I dreamed of being famous, having surgery, and being a successful woman. However, everyone made fun of me because I didn't have an education and I didn't have the means to be an entrepreneur. That's when I started making videos full time. Some people laughed at my videos, but they followed me and when you have so many followers many small brands or even some big companies begin to with you to promote any product. So, I started saving money and the first thing I did was getting surgery.

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Yes. Epa Colombia is all like: “Hello friends, I love it, I love it very much, ha ha ha”, but when I log out from social media I am a very calm woman. I am even shy, normal, and patient. On the other hand, when I go online I am a star. I play with my voice and the way I act. I wouldn’t have been able to make Daneidy famous. Who will follow a quiet girl? I made Epa Colombia famous because she is a strong woman who is larger than life, has an incredible personality, and look how far I’ve come.

I think the real success is when you change. When you stop bad habits and vices. It is believing in yourself. Because I can seem fine on the outside, but if I have envy, bad feelings, resentment, or anger inside, that is not success. That happened to me when I vandalized Transmilenio. I was a terrible woman, but when that happened and they took my social networks, it was the best for me. I searched for God. I started looking at what was wrong with me. I lost many friends because they were only there for my followers and what they could get for free. I changed. Then, when I went back to social media people told me that I looked more focused.

Yes, it used to be a very normal treatment and I wanted to use amino acids to straighten the hair. But I couldn't find that in Colombia. A friend helped me to find that product abroad so that hair gets 100% straight. At first I didn't sell that many, only 10 or 15 jars. I going from one hair salon to the next. I offered to pay them for advertising to help me promote my products while I went back to social media. I’ve been called “low life, disgusting, stupid, mediocre”. However, I am an entrepreneur and businesswoman who wants to create jobs and get ahead in life.

Yes. I don't know why people in Colombia act like that. For example, I live with a trans friend and people tell her that she is disgusting. There is a lot of hypocrisy in this country. They discriminate against a person because of their sexual orientation. Some say that it is a sin, that God does not approve, that they hope they (LGBTQ people) die. But the only one who can judge you is God, not people.

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I ask myself: Are they truly following God? I am a lesbian, and I am blessed. Those people say that I am possessed. Yet, I don’t think they should judge anyone, they should be praying instead of discriminating against people.

I only regret what I did on TransMilenio. I was persuaded by my friends. They told me: “Go ahead, we are in the middle of a protest. Just do it, there is nothing to it” What I truly did was hurt my life. They could have put me in jail. I committed three crimes that added up to more than three years in prison. God and the judge gave me a chance. I do not regret the character of Epa Colombia, but I am very sorry for that video. I took it down five minutes after ing it, but it had already gone viral.

I want to be ed as a woman who was given a second chance and moved on. Someone who gives people the opportunity to work, the number one seller of keratins. The queen of keratins. This is how I want to be ed.

NICOLÁS RIVERA GUEVARA