Colombia May Sue Over Walmart's Cocaine Santa Sweater

Government agency wants monetary damages for affront
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 12, 2019 7:35 AM CST
Colombia May Sue Over Walmart's Cocaine Santa Sweater
The sweater.   (Walmart.ca/Twitter)

A Colombian government agency is demanding money and an apology from Walmart after it offered a Christmas sweater appearing to show Santa with three lines of "Colombian" cocaine. "Santa really likes to savor the moment when he gets his hands on some quality, grade A, Colombian snow," read the description of the adult sweater designed by Fun Wear. The garment featured a wide-eyed Santa holding a straw in front of a table with what appeared to be three lines of cocaine; it was offered by a third-party seller on Walmart's Canadian website and has since been yanked. "The Walmart sweater is an offense to the country" and "Colombia must be respected," says Camilo Gómez Alzate, the director of Colombia's National Agency for the Legal Defense of the State, per the Washington Post.

The agency is demanding monetary damages, arguing the sweater damaged the country's reputation, and says it will sue, perhaps as soon as this week, if Walmart doesn't comply. "Although Walmart apologized, the damage was done," the director said, adding a demand that the company promote legal Colombian products. Along with that sweater, Walmart pulled others that showed a half-naked Santa being whipped by Mrs. Claus and Santa about to be probed by an alien. These sweaters "do not represent Walmart's values and have no place on our website," a rep said, adding, "we apologize for any unintended offence." Business Insider notes clothing featuring the same cocaine Santa design over the words "Let It Snow" is for sale on Amazon, but without mention of Colombia. (More Walmart stories.)

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