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As Sussexes prepare for latest 'quasi royal' tour... are Harry and Meghan being used as political pawns by Colombia?
When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry touch down in Colombia this week for their second 'quasi royal tour' they will, no doubt, be hoping the trip will boost their image on the world stage.
The Sussexes will begin their four-day tour of the crime-ravaged South American country on Thursday and will visit the capital, Bogota, the historical colonial city of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast and Cali – where they will attend a cultural festival.
Arriving at the invitation of Colombian vice president Francia Marquez (the first black woman to hold that job), the faux royal duo will, according to Marquez, 'have the exceptional opportunity to engage with elders, youth and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians... and illuminate Colombia's role as a beacon of culture and innovation'.
The trip will allow Meghan, who celebrated her 43rd birthday last Sunday, to show off her fluent Spanish which she learned at private school in LA and perfected at the US Embassy in Argentina.
But for many Colombians, the Sussexes' visit is viewed as little more than a cynical attempt by a failing Left-wing government to use the glamorous couple as 'political pawns' to divert attention from a series of scandals that have engulfed the regime.
The trip to Colombia will allow Meghan (pictured in March at a polo game in Lagos, Nigeria), who celebrated her 43rd birthday last Sunday, to show off her fluent Spanish which she learned at private school in LA and perfected at the US Embassy in Argentina
The Sussex's will be arriving at the invitation of Colombian vice president Francia Marquez (the first black woman to hold that job)
The pair are expected to stay in the £2,500-a-night Presidential suite at the Sofitel Legend Hotel in Cartagena (pictured)
A prominent Bogota lawyer told the MoS: 'I'm sure Meghan and Harry mean well, but everyone here is talking about how obviously they are being manipulated.
'Of course, their star-power will be used to bring attention to poor people and certain areas of culture in Colombia... but the reality is the Colombian government has been drowning in scandal since it came in two years ago. They need something to appease people at home and make them look good abroad.'
Vice President Marquez's office yesterday told the MoS the trip would begin on Thursday, but remained tight-lipped about specifics.
And a spokesman said all but three events would be 'under the control' of the vice president's office, carefully selecting the images and video clips to be released to the public.
In Colombia, the Sussexes have chosen to visit one of the world's most dangerous hot-spots – with both the UK and US Government websites warning travellers about terrorism, kidnapping and high levels of street crimes, rapes and robberies.
Prince Harry and Meghan walk out after meeting the students at the Lightway Academy in Abuja, Nigeria on May 10,
Vice president Marquez, 42, has made global headlines for her remarkable backstory as a dirt-poor woman who worked as a maid while raising her two sons as a single mother
The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office states that it 'advises against all but essential travel to parts of Colombia'. The areas affected are those shaded in orange in the above map
Harry and Meghan will visit Bogata (pictured) as part of their tour of Colombia
Neither the government, police nor Colombian military would discuss security arrangements for the Sussexes, but a well-informed source told this newspaper that security costs will be picked up by the Colombian taxpayer.
'They will be with the vice president and she has a lot of security because there have been assassination attempts on her life,' they said.
'But people are grumbling about why the Colombian taxpayer should pick up what will be huge security costs for what is essentially a public relations exercise for the Sussexes and for a government which desperately needs to deflect away from its failures.'
President Gustavo Petro, a radical Leftist who once fought in a rebel guerrilla group, came into power in 2022 promising to lift poor Colombians with free healthcare, better education and social welfare schemes for single mothers and abused women.
But Petro's son has been accused of corruption, facing up to 25 years in jail on multiple charges.
And, in July, the president was accused of cheating on his wife, Veronica Alcocer, with transgender TV host Linda Yepes. They were pictured walking hand-in-hand during a trip to neighbouring Panama.
President Gustavo Petro (pictured), a radical Leftist who once fought in a rebel guerrilla group, came into power in 2022 promising to lift poor Colombians with free healthcare, better education and social welfare schemes for single mothers and abused women
Harry and Meghan pose for a photo as they attend the program held in the Armed Forces Complex in Abuja, Nigeria on May 11
Petro has not denied the alleged affair but has said his personal life should remain private.
Vice president Marquez, 42, made global headlines, too, for her remarkable backstory as a dirt-poor woman who worked as a maid while raising her two sons as a single mother.
She became an activist fighting against illegal gold mines and led a march of women from the village of La Toma to Bogota demanding social justice.
She was put in charge of Colombia's first ministry for equality in 2023 – which critics claim has yet to do anything meaningful with the millions of pesos in its budget.
A source said: 'She came in promising to help poor people – especially women. Instead, like everyone who gets a taste of power, she's enjoying it.'
Marquez has been accused of taking helicopters 'like taxis' (she says she uses them because of the threats against her) and of spending millions on a new home where she now lives instead of the official vice president's residence.
Harry and Meghan arrive at the Lagos airport for Official State Welcome on May 12, 2024 in Lagos, Nigeria
Meghan poses for a photograph at an exhibition sitting volleyball match at Nigeria Unconquered, a community-based charitable organization dedicated to aiding wounded, injured, or sick servicemembers, as part of celebrations of Invictus Games anniversary in Abuja, Nigeria on May 11
Representative Miguel Polo Polo wrote on X: 'Francia Marquez is the biggest fraud in our black community. She's been in office for two years and has done nothing, only play the victim and travel around in helicopters.'
It is into this toxic atmosphere that Meghan and Harry will arrive next week. The pair ran into trouble on their first faux royal trip to Nigeria in May when this newspaper revealed one of the Nigerian 'kings' who wooed them was, in fact, a convicted criminal who had been kicked out of the US twice.
The pair are expected to stay in the £2,500-a-night Presidential suite at the Sofitel Legend Hotel in Cartagena. The third-floor room comes with its own butler, pool and enjoys sweeping views of the city and Caribbean Sea.
As King Charles and the rest of the senior royals, – including cancer-stricken Princess Catherine – holiday in Balmoral, one has to wonder if they will follow coverage of the quasi royal visit taking place 5,000 miles away?
And, if so, what will they make of it all?