Society completely broken by online lies, says Prince Harry after riots

The Duke of Sussex has warned that the ongoing spread of fake news and abuse online means that social cohesion has “completely broken down”, after riots swept the country.

He said: “What happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets. People are acting on information that isn’t true. It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake.”

He added: “In an ideal world, those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. We are no longer debating facts.

“For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down.”

The Duke and Duchess flew from Los Angeles to Bogota, where they will remain on Friday before visiting the walled town of San Basilio de Palenque, the first free African town in the Americas, near the coastal city of Cartagena, as well as Cali, a city known for its salsa dancing, over the weekend.

The Duke and Duchess are being hosted during the four-day visit by Francia Marquez, Colombia’s vice-president, who is known as a vocal champion of Afro-Colombians and women’s rights.

She got in touch with the Duchess last year to ask for her support, as a woman of African descent, in celebrating the International Afro-descendant Women’s Day on July 25.

Although the Duchess could not attend, she expressed a desire to visit Colombia, and Ms Marquez seized the opportunity.

On Thursday, the vice-president revealed that she had been prompted to make contact with the couple after being “deeply moved” by their Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, which streamed in December 2022 and focused heavily on the impact of racism and the legacy of British colonialism.

She said of Meghan’s contribution: “It motivated me to say ‘this is a woman who deserves to visit our country and share her story’, and undoubtedly, her visit will strengthen so many women around the world.”