Prince Harry and Meghan Markle praised for 'helping to put Cali back on the world map'

However, the city is hoping for a reputation boost after serving as a host venue for Harry and Meghan's royal tour.

Hundreds of police officers and soldiers lined the streets as part of a huge security operation to guard the Sussexes, who arrived in the city on Sunday for the final leg of their four-day journey around Colombia.

​Cali has recently been rebranded as a party and salsa hub after spending much of the 1990s under the control of the Cali Cartel.

The cartel dominated 80 per cent of the global cocaine market under the leadership of the notorious Rodríguez Orejuela brothers, or "Gentlemen of Cali".

Most of its senior figures have since been jailed, however, Cali still has the highest murder rate of any city in Colombia - measured at 42 per 100,000 people in 2022.

Nonetheless, the city of 2.2 million has also seen a boom in tourism, and in October is set to host 12,000 delegates to the United Nations' biodiversity conference.

Among those determined to capitalise on Harry and Meghan's visit is Cali's mayor, Alejandro Eder.

He told The Times: "This is really important for Cali. We want to recuperate the prestige of Cali and part of that is showing the world what is our city, and what is our culture… we want to put Cali on the world map."

Meanwhile, Miguel Flores, a 38-year-old road sweeper, said the Sussexes were "very welcome", adding: "I hope they encourage their friends to come."

Cali is beginning to attract attention as a tourist destination, with Lonely Planet praising its "zest for life".

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The Sussexes began their visit to Cali by attending an "Afro women and power" forum at the Enrique Buenaventura Municipal Theatre, with Meghan referring to Colombia's vice president Francia Marquez as "mi amiga (my friend)".

She added: "Sorry if my Spanish is not perfect because I learned it 20 years ago in Argentina, but I'm trying here because I can feel this community and this feeling which is the best in the world."

Despite the celebratory atmosphere around Harry and Meghan's visit, Cali still struggles with high levels of crime, with the Foreign Office warning tourists that they risk falling victim to pickpocketing, mugging and armed robbery.

More than 30 per cent of Colombia as a whole remains in poverty.