Taliana Vargas

Taliana María Vargas Carrillo is a Colombian beauty pageant titleholder, actress, and public figure. Born on 20 December 1987 in Santa Marta, Colombia, she is of Greek, Colombian, and Lebanese descent, with an Italian stepfather. She speaks fluent Spanish, English, and Italian, alongside some Greek and Arabic. Vargas studied journalism at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia.

Vargas gained national recognition through pageantry when she was crowned Miss Colombia on 12 November 2007, representing the department of Magdalena. During the three-week national competition, she also earned several special recognitions, including Miss Elegance, the Best Face Award, and Queen of the Police.

Representing Colombia at Miss Universe 2008, Vargas finished as 1st Runner-Up. During the event, she placed in the top 10 for Best National Costume and took second place in the Best in Bikini contest. In the pageant finals on 14 July 2008, she achieved the highest score in the swimsuit competition with a 9.433 and received a 9.829 in the evening gown segment, leading the competition into the top five before placing overall as 1st Runner-Up. Her placement stood as Colombia's highest at Miss Universe until 2014.

Following her pageantry success, Vargas launched an acting career in television. In 2010, she starred in her first leading role as Niña Cabrales in the RCN TV soap opera Chepe Fortuna. The show achieved widespread success in Colombia and South America, earning her a TVyNovelas Award for Favourite Actress in a Leading Role. She subsequently starred as the main character in the Colombian soap opera Rafael Orozco El Idolo, playing the wife of the titular Vallenato singer.

In 2017, Vargas expanded into international television by portraying Paola Salcedo, the wife of the Cali Cartel's security chief, in the third season of the Netflix series Narcos. Throughout her career, she has also served as the brand ambassador for companies in Colombia including L'Oréal Paris Elvive, Studio F, and Nestlé.

On 15 August 2015, Vargas married politician Alejandro Eder, with whom she has two children, Alicia and Antonio. She actively supported her husband during his political campaign for Mayor of Cali. Following his election on 29 October during the 2023 Colombian regional and municipal elections, Vargas became the First Lady of Cali, taking on the role of social manager for the local administration.