Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
The Colombian government is set to sue Walmart for selling a Christmas jumper seemingly showing Father Christmas with lines of cocaine described in the ad as “grade A, Colombian snow” in front of him.
The sweater was sold by an external seller on Walmart’s Canadian website shows Father Christmas sitting in front of three white lines that appear to be cocaine with a text saying “let it snow”.
The advert text said that Father Christmas “(…) jolly old St. Nick, who lives far away in the North Pole. That’s why Santa really likes to savour the moment when he gets his hands on some quality, grade A, Colombian snow.
“He packs it in perfect lines on his coffee table and then takes a big whiff to smell the high-quality aroma of the snow. It’s exactly what he needs to get inspired for Christmas Eve.”
The company removed the advertisement from their website and apologised saying that the sweaters did not represent the values of Walmart and they cannot be used on their website, according to a spokesman talking to local media.
Despite the fact Walmart removed the sweater, other online vendors have started to sell it.
Camilo Gomez, the director of the National Judicial Defence Agency of the State of Colombia (Agencia Nacional de Defensa Juridica del estado), claimed that the advertisement “is an offence to the country generating damages to the legal products of Colombia and the reputation of the country”, local media report.
Gomez said Colombia will take action to obtain compensation and damages, with the money being handed to the victims of drug trafficking. If they do not receive the compensation they will take the case to the court.
Gomez has confirmed that Colombia “cannot stay quiet” after the sale of the item. The amount of compensation will depend on the number of people who saw the advert on Walmart’s website, according to reports.
Local media reported that Colombia is the biggest producer of cocaine in the world and the government has been fighting against drug traffickers in the country for decades.
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