Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have arrived in Colombia for their four-day visit to the Latin American nation with an “army of soldiers” protecting them.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been invited to the country by VP Francia Márquez after she learned of her story in depth via the couple’s two-part Netflix documentary.
In addition to multiple police cars and vans, armed soldiers were deployed to create a strong security perimeter around the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Mail Online reports.
The couple have a busy schedule for the days ahead on the royal-in-all-but-name tour three months after their Nigeria visit – starting with a visit to local children’s school, the Colegio Cultura Popular, which is under heavy armed guard.
It is their second so-called quasi-royal engagement after a trip to Nigeria earlier this year. They were invited to Colombia after the country’s vice president saw them on Netflix and was ‘moved’ by their story.
The couple were met by Ms Marquez after landing.
Roads were blocked, forcing residents to take lengthy detours to reach their homes or wait at checkpoints until events concluded.
Security measures are particularly tight due to death threats against their host, Ms. Marquez.
She and her family have been targeted before, including an attack on her father, Sigifredo Márquez Trujillo, just two months ago when the car he was in was riddled with gunfire. Fortunately, he was unharmed.
Following the attack, Ms. Marquez expressed concern about security in Cauca, Valle del Cauca, the municipality of Suárez, and the district of La Toma, as well as for the safety of her community and family.
Earlier today, Ms. Marquez told reporters that the visit’s purpose was to “build bridges and open doors” to address cyberbullying and online discrimination, particularly among young people.
She reportedly told Harry and Meghan that they share common goals regarding safety and mental health on social media.
However, she did not hide that the trip also aims to showcase Colombia on the global stage, raising concerns that the Sussexes may be used to boost the vice president’s image amidst several scandals.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla soldier, currently holds a 34 percent approval rating among voters and has dismissed centrist members of his cabinet who opposed his costly healthcare and pension reforms.
Ms. Marquez has faced criticism for frequently using helicopters for transportation, with reports indicating she once defended her actions by saying she was the vice president, so “too bad.”
