What was meant to be a highlight of her Colombian visit turned into a theatrical disaster for Meghan Markle. Her speech on female empowerment at the Afro Women and Power Conference in Cali, Colombia, was marred by an unexpected heckler and an awkward display of linguistic insecurity.  With Prince Harry by her side, Meghan took the stage at the Enrique Buenaventura Theater, an event intended to celebrate the contributions and challenges faced by women in the Afro-Colombian community. Eager to showcase her linguistic skills, Meghan addressed the crowd in both English and Spanish, hoping to charm her audience with her ability to speak the local language. Unfortunately, her attempt fell flat.

Meghan began her speech with a somewhat stilted Spanish introduction, apologizing for her less-than-perfect grammar. “I’d like to begin in Spanish because we’re in your country,” she announced. Her accent was noticeably more European than Latin American, and she admitted, “Sorry if my Spanish isn’t perfect because I learned 20 years ago in Argentina, but I’m trying because here I can feel this community and this feeling which is the best in the world.” Despite her efforts, her Spanish skills were shaky, and her grasp of cultural nuances was lacking. The result was a cringeworthy performance that drew more attention to her linguistic shortcomings than to her actual message.

Things took an even more dramatic turn during Vice President Francia Márquez’s speech when a member of the audience decided to make their voice heard by heckling. The heckler interrupted the Vice President with a shout about trans rights, clearly more interested in disrupting the discussion than listening to it. Márquez handled the situation with admirable composure, responding that her focus was on women in general but assuring that their program included support for trans women as well. The heckler was allowed to stay for the rest of the event, though their outburst seemed to overshadow the intended discourse.

Back to Meghan, the former actress found herself in the hot seat, albeit for different reasons. Her speech, which included praise for Harry and their daughter’s newfound voice, was overshadowed by her awkward handling of Spanish. Despite her attempts to show solidarity with the local culture, her accent and grammar seemed more characteristic of a superstar playing at being bilingual rather than someone genuinely engaging with the audience. Critics quickly pointed out the disconnect between Meghan’s rehearsed Spanish and her actual fluency. Her attempt to explain her language skills as a result of learning in Argentina was seen as a weak excuse, given that her accent sounded more Iberian than Latin American.

The discrepancy between her learned Spanish and her actual performance only added to the growing list of public relations missteps. Adding to the spectacle, Meghan’s usual narrative of female empowerment seemed at odds with reported behavior behind the scenes. Known for a controversial management style that includes NDAs for former staff, Meghan’s public advocacy for speaking out felt hollow to many. The dissonance between her stage presence and reported backstage behavior only fueled the criticism.

The event, initially billed as a celebration of women’s achievements and challenges, devolved into a series of missteps and uncomfortable moments. From the heckling incident to Meghan’s lackluster Spanish performance, it was clear that the Sussexes’ attempt to enhance their public image in Colombia had hit a major snag.