Angelina Jolie meets Venezuelan refugees as she visits crisis-hit country a month after violent clashes erupted in failed bid to overthrow President Maduro
- Jolie said 20,000 Venezuelan children at risk of being without citizenship rights
- The actress met with Colombian President Ivan Duque during her two-day trip
- Comes after opposition leader Juan Guaido failed to overthrow President Maduro
Hollywood icon Angelina Jolie has visited Venezuelan refugees a month after violent clashes broke poured onto the streets amid a failed attempt to overthrow President Maduro.
The actress, who is a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, met with those along the Colombian-Venezuelan border who had been forced to leave their homes in the crisis-hit country.
Speaking in Colombia, the 44-year-old star urged the international community to come to the aid of the South American county before adding that 20,000 Venezuelan children were at risk of being without basic citizenship rights.
The visit comes a month after a failed attempted to seize power by the opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Actress Angelina Jolie, who is special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, meets with Ester Barboza, 17, in Riohacha, Colombia. The young girl fled Venezuela with her family due to lack of medical care
The actress visits children who have been forced to flee Venezuela. The visit comes a month after a failed attempted to seize power by the opposition leader Juan Guaido
Four million Venezuelan refugees and migrants had fled the economic and humanitarian crisis in their homeland, according to statistics from the United Nations.
Jolie, who is on a two-day trip to meet Venezuelan migrants in the crisis-hit country, also met with the Colombian President Ivan Duque in Cartagena and discussed how the country could nationalize the stateless children who have been born abroad.
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Speaking at a press conference the Academy Award-winner said: 'The president and I spoke of the risk of statelessness for more than 20,000 Venezuelan children, his commitment to always helping children.
'We agreed on the urgent need for the international community to give more support to Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, who are bearing the brunt of this crisis.'
Jolie (pictured with Colombian refugee Yoryanis Ojeda, 35) is on a two-day trip to meet Venezuelan migrants
Angelina Jolie speaks to people in Riohacha, Colombia , during a two-day visit in the country
In April Guiado announced the start of Operation Libertad to oust Maduro, hoping the military was about to defect to his side, but the effort failed (pictured, street protests)
The move led to a series of clashes on the streets and was seen as a sign of Moscow's weakening support for Venezuela
Following the visit, the Colombian president, whose country has received 1.3 million refugees from Venezuela, said he hoped Jolie's visit would raise attention to the seriousness of the migration crisis.
Jolie's visit comes as citizens of the country continue to flee to neighbouring Colombia where the government and aid agencies have scrambled to provide housing, food and healthcare.
In April violent clashes erupted in the country after US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido tried and failed to oust Maduro.
Guaido, whose effort was dubbed Operacion Libertad, had urged local military to rise up against the government in a video.
The operation, which translates to Operation Freedom, was unsuccessful and instead saw hundreds of rebellion protests erupt on the streets of Caracas.
Locals cheer at a rally with Venezuela's opposition leader and self proclaimed President Juan Guaido in Charallave
President Nicolas Maduro during the closing ceremony of the Latin American Meeting of Local Governments and Participatory Democracy in Caracas
