Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Colombia to promote mental health and combat cyberbullying

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Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrived in Colombia on Thursday on their first visit to the South American country where they will take part in several events promoting mental health for young people. Harry and Meghan were welcomed at Vice President Francia Márquez’s residence in Bogota.

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Prince Harry and Meghan attend a welcoming ceremony, at the Delia Zapata National Arts Center, accompanied by director Xiomara Suescun, right, in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

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A flag bearer wearing traditional Carnival dress performs during a welcoming ceremony for Prince Harry and Meghan at the Delia Zapata National Arts Center in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

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Meghan Markle, wife of Prince Harry, smiles while watching traditional dancers perform during a welcoming ceremony at the Delia Zapata National Arts Center in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

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Prince Harry and Meghan attend a welcoming ceremony, at the Delia Zapata National Arts Center, flanked by Colombia’s Vice President Francia Márquez, left, and director Xiomara Suescun, in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

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Musicians wearing traditional Carnival dress perform during a welcoming ceremony for Prince Harry and Meghan at the Delia Zapata National Arts Center in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

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Prince Harry shakes hands with a performer wearing a jaguar mask during a welcoming ceremony, at the Delia Zapata National Arts Center, in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

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Prince Harry and Meghan attend a welcoming ceremony, accompanied by Colombia’s Vice President Francia Márquez, left, at the Delia Zapata National Arts Center, in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

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Prince Harry greets a traditional Carnival dancer during a welcoming ceremony at the Delia Zapata National Arts Center in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

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Prince Harry and Meghan attend a welcoming ceremony at the Delia Zapata National Arts Center in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

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Prince Harry and Meghan attend a welcoming ceremony at the Delia Zapata National Arts Center in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

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Prince Harry poses for a selfie with a traditional Carnival dancer during a welcoming ceremony at the Delia Zapata National Arts Center in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

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Prince Harry and Meghan pose for photos with traditional Carnival dancers during a welcoming ceremony, at the Delia Zapata National Arts Center, in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

By ASTRID SUÁREZ

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrived in Colombia on Thursday in their first visit to the South American country, where they will take part in several events promoting mental health for young people and how to combat cyberbullying, the office of Colombia’s vice president said.

Harry and Meghan were welcomed at the residence of Vice President Francia Márquez in the heart of Bogotá, where they were treated to Colombian coffee and local pastries made with cheese and yuca. Márquez and Meghan greeted each other effusively, according to a photograph released by the Archewell Foundation, the couple’s nonprofit organization.

Márquez, a human rights activist and Colombia’s first Black vice president, said she will show the prince and the duchess the cultural richness of the country and the work Colombia’s government is doing to fight inequality in a country where 33% of the population lives in poverty.

The vice president said in a news conference prior to the reception of Harry and Meghan that the visit seeks to “build bridges and open doors” and to raise awareness and address a “problem that concerns all of humanity today: cyberbullying,” especially because of its impact on children. Márquez herself said she was the victim of “12,000 racist attacks” last year.

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On Saturday, Harry and Meghan are expected to travel to the Colombian Caribbean, where they will visit San Basilio de Palenque, a town of about 3,500 south of the tourist city of Cartagena, which was founded in the 17th century by runaway slaves.

On Sunday, the couple will visit Cali, one of the most important cities in the Colombian Pacific, where they will attend a forum on “Afro women and power.”

The Duchess of Sussex had announced on her podcast in October 2022 that she found out through the DNA-based test that she was “43% Nigerian.”

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america