“We must recognize that the crisis in Venezuela was predictable and avoidable”: Angelina Jolie

Testimonies of need and gratitude left the visit of Angelina Jolie to the Venezuelan refugees in Peru

Since 2012 Angelina Jolie has been a special envoy by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees ( UNHCR ) with the purpose of assisting the needs and rights of people who are in forced displacement within other nations, as a consequence of critical junctures in their countries of origin.

Recently, the actress and activist went to Peru, a country that has been one of the largest recipients of the Venezuelan exodus. His visit is part of UNHCR's purpose as a source of support for refugee migrant camps, in the case of Venezuelans, who have formed an important diaspora in the history of migration in Latin America. During Jolie's presence in Peru, she attended specific areas in which a large number of Venezuelans are welcomed, such as Tumbes, Lima and the shelter "Sin Fronteras", an organization that provides support and assistance to Venezuelans in the district of San Juan. of Lurigancho.

The symbolism of the visit of UNHCR through the actress and special envoy represents weight and priority before the migratory state in which the Venezuelan citizens are. Countries such as Peru and Colombia have been the main recipients of this phenomenon, which is why the implementation of international measures and alliances for humanitarian assistance and regulation is of great convenience.

Angelina Jolie, who has previously been sent by the Commission to deal with serious humanitarian situations on refugees and displaced persons in countries such as Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, pays attention in South America and records the Venezuelan exodus as one of the largest mass migrations in the country history of the region, being the second time that Angelina is present in South America as a UNHCR activist. In 2012, she visited Ecuador to confront the situation of Colombian refugees in that country.

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At the press conference, where the actress made a presence with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nestor Popolizio, she presented her experience during her visit to Venezuelan migrants:

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Jolie also expressed with surprise the situation in Venezuela, due to the testimonies heard by the Venezuelans themselves, cataloging the crisis facing the country as a situation that could be "predictable and avoidable"

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Grateful for the humanitarian policies that the Peruvian government has faced with the migratory phenomenon, in her speech, she emphasized the feeling of gratitude of Venezuelans towards Peru for the solidarity received. The actress through the testimonies, said that Venezuelans categorized their displacement as a forced situation, did not want to leave their country but the crisis faced by Venezuela in the absence of food, medicine, and purchasing power leaves them no choice.

Minister Popolizio and Jolie urged the international community to support Peru as well as the southern countries, which continue to receive the Venezuelan diaspora. " The refugees face threats to their own lives, they can not return to their countries, it becomes a shared international responsibility. It is essential to strengthen the rule of law, the protection of human rights and the protection of asylum systems."

LatinAmrican Post | Gabriela Rivas Colménarez

Translated from ""Debemos reconocer que la crisis de Venezuela era predecible y evitable": Angelina Jolie"

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