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.
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.”
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
FILE - Prince Harry, right, and Meghan attend the Giant of Africa Foundation at the Dream Big Basketball clinic in Lagos Nigeria, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived in Kyiv on a joint visit Wednesday, as Ukraine presses the West to allow it to use long-range missiles against Russia.
The top diplomats reached the Ukrainian capital by train hours after the U.S. presidential debate during which Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump sparred over the 2 1/2-year war in Ukraine.
Blinken traveled from London, where he accused Iran of providing Russia with Fath-360 short-range ballistic missiles, calling the move a “dramatic escalation” of the war.
For months, Ukraine has been requesting approval to use long-range weapons from the United States and Western allies to strike targets in Russia, and is expected to press harder given Russia’s latest reported weapons acquisition.
“If we are allowed to destroy military targets or weapons prepared by the enemy for attacks on Ukraine, it would certainly bring more safety for our civilians, our people, and our children,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a news conference in Kyiv on Tuesday. “We are working towards this and will continue to push for it every day.”
Referring to the missiles from Iran, he added: “Russia’s use of weapons from its terrorist allies to strike at Ukraine continues their genocidal war and terrorism on our territory. We must be able to respond to such terrorism in kind by destroying military targets on their territory to ensure greater safety for our citizens.”
Wednesday’s visit comes ahead of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s upcoming trip to Washington, where he will meet President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday.
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrive at the train station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy are greeted as they arrive at the train station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrive at the train station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken board a train at Przemysl train station in Poland Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 as they prepare to travel to Ukraine. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, front left, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken board a train at Przemysl train station in Poland Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 as they prepare to travel to Ukraine. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, front left, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken board a train at Przemysl train station in Poland Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 as they prepare to travel to Ukraine. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)
