Harry and Meghan kick off closing day of their ‘quasi-royal’ Colombian tour with Duchess set to present a speech about ‘Afro ladies and energy’ earlier than going to music pageant whereas surrounded by their ‘ring of metal’ safety crew

Prince Harry and Meghan will kick off their closing day of their Colombian quasi royal tour by attending an Afro ladies in energy debate – earlier than heading off to a colourful music pageant with greater than 500,000 different celebration goers.

The Duchess of Sussex is because of give a speech on the occasion which can happen within the metropolis’s foremost theatre and which has been surrounded – as have all the opposite venues – with a safety ring of metal together with dozens of armed police and troopers.

Columbia has the third largest inhabitants of African descent after Nigeria and Brazil and the couple’s host for his or her journey is vp Francia Marquez the primary black girl to carry the place and she’s going to present them round Cali – town made notorious within the 90s by its drug cartel.

Throughout it is heyday period, regulation enforcement officers mentioned the Cali Cartel was accountable foe controlling greater than 80% of the world’s cocaine market and have been mentioned to be liable for the encouraging the expansion of the drug in Europe making billions every year.

The cartel was ultimately damaged within the early 2000s when its leaders have been arrested and compelled handy over greater than $2 billion in property by the US authorities.

The Afro ladies in energy discussion board will enchantment to Meghan who has referenced her Nigerian ancestry a number of instances and Ms Marquez and her are mentioned to have developed a ‘shut bond’ in the previous few days since assembly in particular person and have been pictured hugging warmly every time they meet.

Talking in 2014 to Amnesty Ms Marquez mentioned Colombia’s Afro ladies ‘should maintain going’, regardless of the dangers they face.

She believed ladies have a key position to play as a result of their ‘caring intuition’ drives them to guard not solely their youngsters, but additionally their territory, the atmosphere and their communities.

‘We have to feminize politics and fill humanity with maternal love.

‘Warfare has at all times been pushed by machismo, by the patriarchy and by enterprise between males. I believe these males have to cease being so aggressive in life and take into consideration feminizing themselves.’

In the meantime the Petronio Alvarez music pageant Harry and Meghan which they are going to attend is the biggest Afro-Colombian celebration within the nation and held each August.

It opened earlier this week and ends tonight with a ‘battle of the bands’ and attracts closely on Afro-Colombian teams, with stalls promoting meals and dancing by means of the streets and the primary stage is at a sports activities complicated referred to as Unidad Deportiva Alberto Galinda.

Since its basis in 1997 it has developed into a big celebration of Afro-Colombian music and tradition in Latin America.

It was aimed toward uniting artists from Colombia’s Pacific coast and giving them a platform to specific and have fun their wealthy cultural heritage.

Ana Copete, the director of final yr’s model of the pageant, mentioned on the time: ‘What this pageant has carried out prior to now 27 years is to inform Colombia and the world that we’re a multi-ethnic and multicultural nation.

‘We, as Afro-Colombians, have cast the id of this nation; we have now constructed this nation, hand in hand with others. And we deserve the dignity of our tradition, not solely as folklore however as a lifestyle.’

However critic Addo Obed Possu, who makes drums and different conventional devices for the pageant, was quoted in a report final yr as claiming it was changing into too political.

He cited the inclusion of massive acts like salsa band Grupo Area of interest he mentioned had nothing to do with the musical tradition, saying: ‘It takes away funds from a black musician, who comes from the deep territories of the Pacific Coast, to carry out conventional music and be on the highlight in the course of the pageant.

‘For instance, with the amount of cash they pay Grupo Area of interest, they may double the pay of every of the teams that come from the 4 collaborating areas.’

Wherever Harry and Meghan go in Colombia the identical grievance at all times appears to comply with them. 

You hear it within the slim streets of La Candelaria in Bogota and inside the historic walled metropolis of Cartagena 600 miles away on the nation’s Caribbean coast, the place the couple touched down yesterday, the most recent cease on their fake royal tour.

It’s that whereas locals are solely too conscious the Sussexes are on the town – the surplus of armed police, sirens, blocked-off roads and visitors jams are perpetual reminders – it irks that they by no means see them within the flesh.

‘It is very unusual, they transfer like ghosts,’ mentioned Arturo, a waiter, sheltering from the Andean solar below a palm frond on Avenida Jimenez de Quesada on Thursday afternoon.

At every fastidiously chosen venue, the duke and duchess arrive and depart unseen, invariably exiting at velocity by way of an underground automobile park or hidden aspect road in a roaring phalanx of flashing Land Cruisers.

Whereas their elusiveness irritates some, others in Bogota and Cartagena stay determinedly incurious – ‘they’re nothing particular’ and ‘who cares?’ are frequent refrains.

The couple rounded off the third day of their royal tour by visiting conventional Afro-Caribbean village, San Basilio de Palenque.    

The journey to the village concerned a half hour helicopter trip from Cartagena after which a 15 minute drive alongside a pot holed street lined with troopers and at one level a tank.

To beat the 30c warmth and humidity Meghan wearing white linen skirt, sleeveless shirt and Panama hat. Harry had a light-weight blue linen shirt and cream trousers and appeared uncomfortable within the warmth with sweat stains below his arms.  

They have been met with a heat welcome as locals clapped, cheered and waved on the couple who have been accompanied by their traditional safety crew.