This influencer raised $ 2 million to help a baby

(CNN Spanish) -

Santiago Maratea uses the power of social networks to promote solidarity campaigns.

In his most recent feat, the young Argentine helped raise $ 2 million to treat Emma, ​​a baby with a rare neurodegenerative disease.

In an interview "In Dialogue with Longobardi" he told how he does to involve brands in his collections, he talked about the differences between the different social networks and recalled the anecdote of the time in which his admiration for Ellen DeGeneres got him into trouble .

Marcelo Longobardi: In your Instagram bio you say "what I do is not charity." I am referring to various solidarity campaigns, among them the case of the mothers of victims of human trafficking, that of the Wichi community in the province of Salta and that of Emmita, which is surely the one that made you best known in Argentina. If what you achieved is not charity, what is it?

Santiago Maratea: 

I started many years ago with this trademark trade that gave me things.

So I decided I started asking for double to give half away.

But other than that, it offered companies shares so they could have more sales.

I have an intention that apart from helping is to generate productivity.

It is a way of involving brands, making them part of a campaign.

But what happened with the cases you mention is that people started putting up money.

The decision to help or not was his, no longer any marks in the middle.

Marcelo Longobardi: How was the case of Omar from the Wichi community?

An indigenous people that is in the north of Argentina and also has a presence in Bolivia.

Santiago Maratea: 

Omar is a friend I met at a Circo del Sol show. In the midst of the pandemic, he lost his job and called me.

He wanted me to help him get a job, but it was impossible.

So I asked him for his details and posted the bank account on my Instagram.

We raised US $ 8,536 (800,000 Argentine pesos) so that he, his family and neighbors could live until the end of the year.

Then they needed an ambulance and we were able to get two vans for the community.

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Marcelo Longobardi: I found the story of the association Mothers Victims of Trafficking very amazing, which is a tremendously painful subject.

Santiago Maratea: 

That case was tremendous.

It helped me understand a situation in my country that I was unaware of.

He taught me the negatives of patriarchal status and sexist consumption.

We helped them to get US $ 85,357 (8 million Argentine pesos) for the rental of a cultural center.

Marcelo Longobardi: Tell me about Emmita's case.

She has spinal muscular atrophy, which is a very complicated disease.

Santiago Maratea:

Yes, it is a very serious problem and the drug costs US $ 2 million.

Marcelo Longobardi: How long did it take to collect them?

Santiago Maratea:

I actually had to collect US $ 1.6 million.

They already had $ 500,000.

Emmita's family and I put the rest together in 10 days.

It was more than $ 100,000 a day.

Something without explanation.

This was a slightly more extreme case, because it took a lot more people to contribute.

That is why different celebrities joined to tell their followers (…) It was stressful, but it showed the power of social networks and also that Argentina wants to see beautiful things happen.

Contrasts between networks

How are influencers similar to journalists?

1:21

Marcelo Longobardi: So that my generation can understand, explain to me what differences do you find between Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube?

Santiago Maratea: 

Instagram is the most popular and, therefore, today it is the most boring.

It is a network that today is facing sale.

In putting advertising to advertise your content.

On the other hand, on TikTok you find many more profiles that are good for what they do and not because they paid for you to see it.

Marcelo Longobardi: While for me Instagram is the future, for you it is already the past.

TikTok is the present, and Twitter?

Santiago Maratea:

 Twitter is the devil that we all carry inside.

The day everything goes down on the internet is what will continue to work.

If I see something and want to find out, I go to Twitter.

There is a lot of information, although at the same time it can be a sewer.

Marcelo Longobardi: What about Facebook and Snapchat?

Santiago Maratea: 

Facebook is the total past.

But at the same time it is the social network that works the most or the one with the most users ... Snapchat seems to me the best social network to send nude photos.

Marcelo Longobardi: My favorite is YouTube…

Santiago Maratea:

 YouTube is like television.

Everyone is there: Alberto Fernández, Biden, the Pope.

If there is a live conference it is also on the Vatican channel on YouTube.

Influencer explains why Instagram got boring 1:14

A Brush with the Law by Ellen DeGeneres

Marcelo Longobardi: I know a very interesting story of yours. I confess that I identify myself, because when I was young I did the same, but with less success. I also went to the door of the channels to meet people. How come you got caught by the police trying to meet Ellen DeGeneres herself at Warner Bros. studios?

Santiago Maratea:

 I was always attracted to Hollywood, so I took a plane and went.

He was a boy, he had another head, he was more delusional than now.

One day I went to Warner's door and I stood there for 10 minutes, three policemen came out and told me to leave.

I was sad, but the following week I came back.

I stared at the famous tank, got closer, crossed the barrier and no one stopped me.

I kept walking.

I was in there for 45 minutes, one of the best experiences of my life.

Now I'm old enough to break the rules like that.

Marcelo Longobardi: Did the police grab you again and did you end up before a judge?

Santiago Maratea:

 Yes, the police made an expert report on the places where I was. I was there for 5 hours, they checked if I had a record and they verified that I did not. They later released me, but with a life restraining order. So I explained to the judge that I needed an exception, what if one day Ellen DeGeneres invited me to her show? I told him my story, how I got there and he found it fascinating. He says: "well, give me a second." He went and changed the document. Now he said that he could enter "in case she invites him publicly or through social networks." There the spell was broken. So if that happens one day, I will be able to enter.

Editor's note:

The program "In Dialogue with Longobardi" can be seen every Sunday at 9 pm in Miami (10 pm in Buenos Aires) on the CNN en Español screen. In addition, their shows can be heard on various platforms.