Prince Harry Urged to Apologize for Cocaine Use During Colombia Trip

A friend of Prince William has told The Daily Beast that Prince Harry should apologize for taking cocaine as a young man on his and wife Meghan Markle’s forthcoming tour of Colombia, due to begin Thursday.

The friend said: “Harry admitted to doing coke in his book (Spare). His trip to Colombia should include an admission that the country has been destroyed by narco-terrorists servicing wealthy drug users in the west, and he should stand up and apologize for his own participation in that disgusting trade. That would be a helpful intervention.”

Drug-related crime has made the South American country one of the most dangerous places on earth to live. It has one of the highest murder rates in the world.

Cocaine farming and manufacturing, often carried out in makeshift laboratories in the Amazon jungle, also has devastating impacts on the natural environment which campaigners have sought to highlight over the years. A recent campaign in Sweden on the issue claimed that four square meters of rainforest is destroyed for every gram of cocaine produced, and saw Swedish streets emblazoned with posters with slogans such as, “I only sponsor gang wars when I’m with friends,” and, “I only support child labour when there is something to celebrate.”

Harry and Meghan’s quasi-royal tour of Colombia is due to begin on Thursday this week. In a statement announcing the tour, the government said that the couple were going there in recognition of their “global leadership in fostering a safer online environment,” adding that this was also part of the goal of a conference dedicated to ending violence against children, to be held in Colombia this November.

Asked about the stated motivation, the friend of Prince William’s witheringly told The Daily Beast: “I can’t imagine online trolling is the biggest risk to children being exploited, enslaved and murdered by drugs gangs.”

Windsor loyalists have expressed irritation about the trip to The Daily Beast. One source recently told The Daily Beast: “I’m afraid it shows the utter contempt they have for the king and for very long-established ways of doing things. Royal tours have always, always been about diplomacy, building bridges and reinforcing friendships on behalf of Britain. This tour may well have the noblest intentions, but it is clearly not being carried out on behalf of Britain, and yet they still basically portray themselves as British royals. It shows you exactly why the royals want these two kept as far away as possible.”

Harry implied in his book and in interviews that he has continued to use marijuana for mental health reasons.

Marijuana remains illegal in many jurisdictions and its production and distribution has been widely linked to gang crime, slavery and other human rights abuses, as well as ecological damage.