Angelina Jolie, the special envoy for the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR), began her two-day humanitarian visit to Colombia's border area with Venezuela on Friday, June 7. The U.N. said the number of Venezuelans who have fled their country since the start of 2016 has surpassed 4 million. The rapid escalation of the number of migrants and refugees reflects the further deterioration of economic conditions. The exodus comes amid a grinding political standoff between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
Guaidó, who heads the opposition-controlled congress, revived a flagging movement in January by declaring himself interim president, quickly drawing recognition as Venezuela's rightful leader from the U.S .and more than 50 nations.
On Friday, Jolie visited a border camp where Venezuelan migrants are staying in tents, and she is set to hold a news conference Saturday in the Colombian region of La Guajira.
Jolie last visited the region in October, when she met Venezuelan refugees in Peru.
