They came, they waved, they left. And when the tour of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex was all over, the nation of Colombia was left with a hefty bill.
The Colombian government is on the hook for about £45,000 (nearly $59,000 in USD), according to the U.K. Daily Mail.
In Colombian money, the cost totaled 244,245,305 pesos for security and internal travel, according to Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez, who invited the couple.
Senator Maria Fernanda Cabal branded the August tour as “showmanship” and “wasteful spending.”
The eye-watering amount Harry and Meghan’s four-day tour of Colombia cost is revealed https://t.co/TejEIQAWJm @MailOnline
— cclinton (@grancake) September 3, 2024
“After Francia Marquez saw the story of Harry and Meghan on Netflix, she brought them to Colombia for seven days at a daily cost of no less than 34,892,186 pesos, money that belongs to Colombians,” Cabal said, according to the U.K. Daily Mirror.
A Colombian report, since taken down, that claimed 3,000 security personnel were on hand during the tour, prompted a scathing reply from a local official from the city of Cali, according to the Telegraph.
“We continue with an ancient practice: handing over our resources in exchange for smoke and mirrors,” local council member Andres Escobar said.
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He said the money “could have been used to expand coverage of children’s soup kitchens, pay salaries for community mothers, seed capital for Afro communities or adapt sports venues that are practically in ruins.”
Escobar also accused Marquez of “squandering public money on her vanity” and said taxes were spent on “photo opportunities and social media,” according to the Daily Mail.
“There are many, many Colombians who are hungry and have a lack of basic needs. 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,” he said.
“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,” he added.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s tour torn apart as true cost to Colombia laid bare: ‘Wasteful!’https://t.co/KKgjP5C93V
— GB News (@GBNEWS) September 3, 2024
“Before this current government came to power they campaigned that they would save money and not waste it but they have done just the opposite with this visit,” Escobar said.
The BBC noted that “much of this tour – including the events – were very private and controlled,” with only videographers and photographers approved by the government and royal couple-allowed access.
The only print reporter with the tour was from Harper’s Bazaar.
The report suggested that for Harry and Meghan, the tour was “about maintaining their influence and visibility on the world stage, and showing they can still attract audiences with global leaders.”
