Prince Harry And Meghan Markle have arrived in Colombia for their four-day visit to the Latin American country, accompanied by an “army of soldiers” to protect them.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been invited to the country by Vice President Francia Márquez, after learning about her story in depth through the couple's two-part documentary. Netflix documentary.
In addition to several police cars and vans, armed soldiers were also 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 coming days during their royal tour, three months after their visit to Nigeria, starting with a visit to the local children's school, the Colegio Cultura Popular, which is heavily guarded.
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 sent them on Netflix and was 'moved' by their story.
After landing, the couple was met by Mrs. Marquez.
Roads were blocked, forcing residents to take long detours to reach their homes or wait at checkpoints until the events ended.
Security measures have been tightened due to death threats against their hostess, Mrs. 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 her concerns about security in Cauca, Valle del Cauca, the municipality of Suárez and the district of La Toma, as well as the safety of her community and family.
Earlier today, Ms Marquez told reporters the aim of the visit was to “build bridges and open doors” to tackle cyberbullying and online discrimination, particularly among young people.
She reportedly told Harry and Meghan that they have common goals around safety and mental health on social media.
However, she did not hide that the trip was also intended to present Colombia on the world stage. Concerns were raised that the Sussexes could be used to boost the vice president's image, amid several scandals.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla fighter, currently has a 34 percent approval rating among voters and has fired moderate members of his cabinet who opposed his costly health care and pension reforms.
Ms. Marquez has been criticized for regularly using helicopters for transportation. She reportedly once defended her actions by saying that she was the vice president, so “too bad.”