U.S. President Barack Obama did not take the donkey he was offered by inhabitants of the town of Turbaco back to Washington, but did send the donkey's owner a friendly thank you note.
According to newspaper El Tiempo, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos personally told his U.S. counterpart about the extensive efforts the town of Turbaco, and in particular the town's former mayor Silvio Carrasquilla, had made to persuade Obama to visit the town and receive a young donkey named Demo.
Obama then wrote the thank you note and asked Santos to make sure the note was delivered in Turbaco, only a few miles outside of Cartagena where the two leaders were attending the 6th Summit of the Americas.
Carrasquilla has supported Obama since the 2008 presidential elections when the former mayor opened an unofficial election campaign center in the Caribbean town.