Colombian Locals Confused by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Visit; ‘Are They Here to Help?’
Three months after their trip to Nigeria, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle traveled to another country for a visit and that’s Colombia. The South American country’s Vice President Francia Márquez announced weeks earlier that “the Duke and Duchess will join me in visiting Bogotá, as well as the Caribbean and Pacific regions of Cartagena and Cali.”
The purpose of their visit is to promote mental health for young people and raise awareness about cyberbullying. But some locals are confused and wondering exactly what the Sussexes are doing there since the “burden” of this visit may fall on Colombia’s residents.
Harry and Meghan’s visit ‘raised questions’ among locals about who’s paying for what
After Meghan and Harry’s visit was announced, there were reports that some Colombians were urging the Vice President to cancel the trip. That didn’t happen but many still had questions about it, especially considering all the special accommodations the couple required during their four-day visit. And others wanted to know why the pair chose to travel to a place with such a high crime rate (it has a ‘Level 3’ travel advisory from the U.S. State Department) when Harry believes Meghan’s life is at risk in the U.K.
Author and royal expert, Robert Jobson told Express that confused Colombian locals want to know what benefit the country is getting from hosting the duo and asking: “Are they here to help?”
He added: “When Harry and Meghan touched down, it wasn’t just the Colombian sun that made people squint. It was the blinding glare of their celebrity … a shiny distraction to keep the people from looking too closely at the cracks in the walls, wondering who is paying for their security, flights, and luxury accommodations.”
The Independent noted that according to Nick Pisa, a reporter covering their trip, the duke and duchess were assigned an “immense security presence” with “14 cars and police van convoys.”
It’s not known yet who will cover the cost of their visit the Colombian government, its residents, or both.
Anthony Cawdron, a former royal butler who served at Blenheim Palace, told Daily Express US: “I think each of these trips that they take seems to have the effect that people question them more. They are putting a burden on a country that may have a limited amount of methods of keeping them safe.”
Locals in Nigeria were also confused about the Sussexes’ ‘unofficial tour’ there
Colombians questioning what Meghan and Harry went there for aren’t alone in asking about that. Nigerians wondered the same thing when the Sussexes traveled there in May, and some had very strong opinions about that visit given the country’s economic situation.
A video posted on Reddit featured Nigerian locals who expressed their dissatisfaction with the duke and duchess’s trip.
One person explained: “What effect does it have on our economy? Harry’s coming and Nigeria is going to spend billions. Look Nigerians are dying. Everybody’s frustrated over economic hardships … Let me tell you, if you seek my opinion and other people’s opinions, in fact conduct an opinion poll, it’s wasting resources.”
And another local said the prince and former Suits star‘s tour was “Not a welcome idea. That’s the truth. Whether the wife claims that she’s part of Nigeria or not, it’s not a welcome idea.”
