As Sussexes prepare for latest ‘quasi royal’ tour… are Harry and Meghan being used as political pawns by Colombia?

When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry arrive in Colombia this week for their second “quasi-royal tour,” they will no doubt be hoping the trip will boost their image on the world stage.

The Sussexes begin their four-day tour of the crime-ridden South American country on Thursday, visiting the capital Bogota, the historic colonial city of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast and Cali, where they will attend a cultural festival.

The duo, who pose as a kind of king, come at the invitation of Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez (the first black woman to hold the position). According to Marquez, they have “the exceptional opportunity to connect with elders, young people and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians… and to highlight Colombia’s role as a beacon of culture and innovation.”

The trip will allow Meghan, who celebrated her 43rd birthday on Sunday, to show off her fluent Spanish, which she learned at a private school in Los Angeles and perfected at the U.S. Embassy in Argentina.

But for many Colombians, the Sussexes’ visit is nothing more than a cynical attempt by a failing left-wing government to use the glamorous couple as “political pawns” to distract from a series of scandals plaguing the regime.

A prominent Bogota lawyer told the MoS: ‘I’m sure Meghan and Harry mean well, but everyone here is talking about how clearly they are being manipulated.

“Of course their star power will be used to draw attention to poor people and certain cultural areas in Colombia… but the reality is that the Colombian government has been drowning in scandal since it took office two years ago. They need something to please people at home and make them look good abroad.”

Vice President Marquez’s office told the MoS yesterday that the trip would begin on Thursday, but remained secret about the details.

A spokesman said all but three of the events would be “under the control” of the vice president’s office, which would carefully select the images and video clips that would be made public.

In Colombia, the Sussexes have chosen to visit one of the world’s most dangerous hotbeds. Both the British and American government websites warn travelers of terrorism, kidnappings and high levels of street crime, rape and mugging.

Neither the government, the police nor the Colombian army would discuss security arrangements for the Sussexes, but a well-informed source told this newspaper that the cost of security is paid by Colombian taxpayers.

“They will be with the vice president and she is under heavy guard because there have been assassination attempts on her,” they said.

‘But people complain that the Colombian taxpayer is having to foot the huge security bill for what is essentially a public relations exercise for the Sussexes and a government desperate to divert attention from its failures.’

President Gustavo Petro, a radical leftist politician who was once part of a rebel guerrilla movement, came to power in 2022 on a promise to help poor Colombians with free health care, better education and social services for single mothers and abused women.

But Petro’s son is accused of corruption and could face up to 25 years in prison on multiple charges.

And in July, the president was accused of cheating on his wife, Veronica Alcocer, with transgender TV presenter Linda Yepes. They were photographed holding hands during a trip to neighboring Panama.

Petro has not denied the alleged affair, but has said that his private life should remain private.

Vice President Marquez, 42, also made headlines around the world for her remarkable backstory as a penniless woman who worked as a maid and raised her two sons as a single mother.

She became an activist fighting against illegal gold mining and led a march of women from the village of La Toma to Bogota to demand social justice.

In 2023, she was appointed head of Colombia’s first ministry for equality, which critics say has still done nothing meaningful with the millions of pesos in its budget.

A source said: ‘She came in with a promise to help poor people, especially women. Instead, she enjoys it, like anyone who gets a taste of power.’

Marquez is accused of using helicopters “as taxis” (she says she uses them because of threats against her) and of spending millions on a new house, where she now lives instead of the official residence of the vice president.

Representative Miguel Polo Polo wrote on X: ‘Francia Marquez is the biggest fraud in our black community. She has been in power for two years and has done nothing, just played the victim and traveled around in helicopters.’

It is into this toxic atmosphere that Meghan and Harry arrive next week. The couple ran into trouble during their first fake royal trip to Nigeria in May when this newspaper revealed that one of the Nigerian “kings” courting them was in fact a convicted criminal who had been deported from the US twice.

The couple are expected to stay in the £2,500-a-night Presidential Suite at the Sofitel Legend Hotel in Cartagena. The third-floor room has its own butler, plunge pool and sweeping views of the city and the Caribbean Sea.

As King Charles and the rest of the senior royals, including cancer-stricken Princess Catherine, holiday at Balmoral, one has to wonder whether they will be following the news coverage of the quasi-royal visit taking place 5,000 miles away?

And if so, what are they going to do with it?