Akin to their unofficial royal tour of Nigeria, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have also caused a stir following their trip to Colombia.
According to reports, Colombian officials are furious about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s trip, which saw them visit destinations including Bogota, Cali, and Cartagena, as they allegedly claimed that public money was squandered in order to entertain them and keep them safe. Keep reading for more details.
Colombian Vice President Accused Of 'Squandering Public Money' For Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Trip
Prince Harry and Meghan were reportedly invited to the South American country by Vice President Francia Márquez, who the couple met with on day one of their four-day trip. Although Prince Harry and Meghan reportedly funded the trip themselves, their security was seemingly paid for by the Vice President's office, which many people were unhappy about.
Márquez issued a statement to set the record straight about who paid for the trip, and said: "This visit was the result of a collective effort." The statement, which was issued by her office, added: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex financed their trip and that of their team with their own resources."
"The events held in the various places visited were co-financed with resources from international cooperation and philanthropy that generously contributed to this visit," she added. "The Ministry of Equality and Equity and the Vice Presidency guaranteed the technical requirements, mobility and participation of young people, women and communities."
According to the Independent, Andrés Escobar, security chief of the city of Cali council, accused Márquez of "squandering public money" on "vanity," adding that "taxes were spent on rich white people for photo opportunities and social media."
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Security Reportedly Cost Almost $2M
According to a report published by Colombian news outlet CW Noticias, the American Riviera Orchard founder and the Invictus Games founder's security cost eight billion pesos, which equates to just under $2M.
GB News wrote that their security involved a team of 3,000 police and soldiers, helicopters, sniffer dogs, bomb disposal units and a guard armed with a bulletproof shield. Wow!
As a third of the population lives below the poverty line, Escobar thought that the money could have been spent on its people rather than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Commenting on a CW Noticias report on the security cost on X, formerly Twitter, he pointed out that the money "could have been used to expand coverage of children's canteens, pay salaries of community mothers, seed capital for Afro communities or adapt sports venues practically in ruins."
Social media wasn't the only place Escobar voiced his anger, as he also had a lot to say to the Daily Mail. "This country could have used the money to invest in our own infrastructure, we are in a bad way and money is wasted for this," he told the outlet.
"There are many, many Colombians who are hungry and have a lack of basic need," he continued, adding: "They invested this money because the vice president wanted to meet two high profile public figures and brush aside criticism and problems that we have here."
Escobar added: "We are in an economic crisis and eight billion pesos have been spent for the visit of Harry and Meghan, Colombian military planes and helicopters have been used and the money could have been better spent."
Internet Reactions
"Their vanity exceeds anything," slammed one person in the comments section of a Daily Mail article about the trip. "They should have realized that all the security that they 'require' was going to cost the community a lot of money. If they were real humanitarians they should have passed on the visit," they added.
"The fact that they would visit an impoverished country knowing it would take funds away the needs of the citizens/country shows just how selfish they can be," criticized a second reader, adding: "It should not matter if a President tells you not to worry about the security cost, if one truly cares for the people they would prefer the money to be spent on helping the people's needs and not being spent on a few days of touring. This shows entitlement and lack of care for the suffering of a country."
"I don't understand why they're going 'on tour' anywhere tbh. They left the royal family to live the rest of their lives in California, raising Archie and Lillibet. It's my understanding that only royals go on tour, not former royals," said another, as someone else asked: "Why is it that Harry and Megan don't think to ask the question how much is our visit going to cost the country, before they go? A country that is so impoverished, and would find it so hard to cover the cost of their visit. The country should not be burdened with that cost and they must know that."
"This trip was nothing more than a free vacation with guaranteed adulation," said another reader. "The notion that this trip was taken because of philanthropic service is preposterous," the same reader continued, adding: "The trip was a patently obvious PR stunt to boost the Sussex's public image. Responsible journalists should hold them accountable for grifting off the backs of a third world country."
