Harry and Meghan will visit Colombia’s first ‘free town’ and music festival on their latest tour – amid claims they are being used as ‘political pawns’ to distract from Government scandals

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit the first ‘free city’ for escaped slaves in the Americas during their visit to Colombia, as the couple continues to explore their interest in colonialism and its legacy.

The pair will be given a tour of the important sanctuary of San Basilio de Palenque on Saturday.

The town, which has a population of about 3,500, was one of the walled communities known as palenques. These communities were founded in the 17th century by escaped slaves as a place of refuge. As a result, the enclave developed a rich and unique culture, strongly influenced by the African heritage of the people.

In 2008, the city and its cultural space were declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The Sussexes come at the invitation of Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez

The couple are expected to stay in the Presidential Suite at the Sofitel Legend Hotel in Cartagena, which costs £2,500 a night.

Part of the recognition is linked to the fact that the Palenque language, called Palenquero, is the only Spanish-based creole language in Latin America. It is spoken by only about 3,000 people.

Most of the other so-called secret forts in Palenque were eventually found and destroyed by the Spanish, but San Basilio de Palenque, a popular day trip for tourists from Cartagena, was preserved.

The founder was Domingo Benkos Bioho, originally from the Bijago Islands of Guinea-Bissau in West Africa.

He was captured by Portuguese slave traders in the late 16th century. Mystery surrounds the story of his escape from Cartagena, one of the main hubs for the slave trade in Colombia in the seventeenth century.

Spanish authorities attempted to end the threat he posed after he established a network of palenques and coordinated raids on Spanish plantations to free more slaves. They captured him during a visit to Cartagena, after tricking him into returning to the city, and executed him.

The trip to Colombia will give Meghan the chance to show off her fluent Spanish

Meghan poses for a photo in Abuja, Nigeria

Harry and Meghan visit Bogata as part of their tour of Colombia

A statue of Benkos Bioho stands in the centre of San Basilio de Palenque.

Day trippers visiting the town have the chance to learn Palenquero and learn all about traditional hairstyles and braids in a hair salon.

Visitors can try dishes consisting of a mix of African, Caribbean, European and American ingredients, such as fried fish, coconuts and mango salsa.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also attend a music festival in Cali on Sunday, the Petronio Alvarez Festival, Mayor Alejandro Eder said.

It takes place every year in August at a sports complex called Unidad Deportiva Alberto Galinda.

Since its founding in 1997, it has become an important celebration of Afro-Colombian music and culture in Latin America.

The aim was to unite artists from the Pacific coast of Colombia and provide them with a platform to express and celebrate their rich cultural heritage.

Cali Mayor Eder said at a tourism conference earlier this month: “They come to Cali and spend a day in the city.

‘They will visit the Petronio Alvarez Festival in the city and also other social initiatives.’

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 Mail on Sunday: ‘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.”