Councilman Claims Harry and Meghan’s Colombia Tour Wasted Public Funds

A Colombian councilman has accused the vice president of misusing public funds on what he termed as “vanity,” following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s semi-royal tour of the country.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex ended their four-day stay in Cali, a city once notorious for cartel activity, with a festive evening filled with cheering and dancing. However, their visit has not been universally celebrated.

The security chief of the city council voiced criticism on social media, claiming that billions of pesos were spent to host the couple. He argued this money could have been better used for children’s meal programs, community mothers’ salaries, seed capital for Afro communities, or to refurbish deteriorating sports facilities.

Andrés Escobar also accused Vice President Francia Marquez, who accompanied Meghan and Harry throughout their visit, of wasting public money on “her vanity.” He added that taxpayer money had been funneled into “photo opportunities and social media.”

Although the overall cost of the trip has not been confirmed, it is understood that the security expenses were covered by the vice president’s office.

During their visit, the Duke and Duchess interacted with Invictus athletes and participated in panels discussing online safety and female empowerment.

Upon their arrival in Colombia on Thursday, they were immediately taken to Vice President Marquez’s private residence. The invitation was reportedly prompted by the vice president’s enjoyment of the couple’s Netflix documentary.

Escobar expressed disbelief at this reason for their visit, telling MailOnline, “The vice president asked them here because she saw them on Netflix. Can you believe that? How ridiculous, I can’t believe she said that.”

“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 added.

According to Oxfam and DANE (Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics), Colombia ranks second after Brazil in Latin America for economic inequality, with 16,708,153 people classified as living in monetary poverty in 2023.

The country also faces a stark disparity between urban and rural areas. In 2023, 30.6% of urban residents lived in poverty, compared to 41.2% in rural zones.

Mr. Escobar added, “There are many, many Colombians who are hungry and lack basic necessities. 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.”

“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 were used, and the money could have been better spent.”

“Before this current government came to power, they campaigned on promises to save money and not waste it. But they have done just the opposite with this visit,” Escobar said.

Critics have labeled the tour a “distraction” from the country’s problems, with some locals claiming they were being used as “political pawns.”

Before their visit, a Colombian lawyer told the Mail on Sunday, “I’m sure Meghan and Harry mean well, but everyone here is talking about how obviously they are being manipulated.”

The Independent has contacted the Sussexes and Vice President Marquez’s office for comment.

Source: MailOnline, The Independent, Oxfam, DANE