Angelina Jolie is back in U.N. mode this week, meeting with some of the more than two million Venezuelans who have fled from their homes and for the promise of a better life in Peru. People reports the UNHCR Special Envoy for the United Nations stopped by a soup kitchen in Tumbes, Peru, that’s a popular stopping point for refugees entering the country from north. The actress and director also spoke with Peru’s president, Martin Vizcarra, and a nun whose convent now serves as a soup kitchen for refugees. The nun was photographed giving Angelina a blessing. “Every Venezuelan I met described the situation in their country as desperate,” Angelina said in a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 23. “I heard stories of people dying because of a lack of medical care and medicine, cancer patients whose chemotherapy was abruptly stopped, diabetes sufferers without access to insulin, children without basic antibiotics, people starving, and tragic accounts of violence and persecution. None of the Venezuelans I met want charity. They want an opportunity to help themselves. The message that I heard consistently was, ‘We didn’t want to leave, we had to leave.’ After having spoken to so many people, it is clear to me that this is not movement by choice.” She continued: “At a time when fundamental principles are being questioned, it is more important than ever that we have the systems and resources in place to identify people with genuine refugee and asylum claims, and to make sure that they have the support that they need. It is crucial to reinforce the rule of law, respect for human rights, international protection and asylum systems.” Before leaving the podium, she added: “I have been deeply touched by the dignity and strength of the Venezuelan refugees I have met on this visit, and by the warmth and generosity of the Peruvian people. Thank you very much for welcoming me to your beautiful country. Tu causa es mi causa [Your cause is my cause].”
