Countess meets Colombian refugees in Ecuador

News Stories, 3 November 2008

© UNHCR/X.Orellana
Genoveva Casanova meets refugee children in northern Ecuador.

QUITO, Ecuador, November 3 (UNHCR) – Mexican-born philanthropist and model, Genoveva Casanova y González, has completed a visit to Ecuador aimed at raising awareness about tens of thousands of Colombian refugees.

Casanova, who has formed a close relationship with the UN refugee agency over the past two years, met refugees in Quito and in villages on the Pacific coast and along the border with Colombia during her week-long visit, which ended last Wednesday. She also met government officials and toured projects run by UNHCR and its partners.

"I met outstanding people who have endured great difficulties and are now rebuilding their lives," said the mother of two, who holds the title of Countess of Salvatierra through marriage to a Spanish aristocrat.

She said she was struck by the poor conditions and poverty in which many of the Colombians lived. Government officials briefed her on plans to improve the situation for the estimated 130,000 Colombian exiles in Ecuador, of whom only 20,000 have registered as refugees.

Casanova, whose own grandparents were refugees, said she was saddened by the suffering that many had suffered, especially women, before fleeing into Ecuador. During a visit to the Centre for Information and Orientation of Refugees in Quito, she met Silvia, who was sexually abused and beaten on her small farm in Colombia by members of an illegal armed group after helping her 17-year-old daughter escape. "Stories like these need to be listened to by a wider audience and help make a difference and create more solidarity," Casanova said.

During an event in Quito to celebrate the 63rd anniversary of the United Nations, Casanova praised Ecuador's commitment to refugees and human rights. On her return to Spain, she pledged to continue her work in spreading awareness about refugees around the world.

The striking and accomplished young woman visited UNHCR projects in India and Nepal last year. She has also taken part in World Refugee Day ceremonies.

By Xavier Orellana in Quito, Ecuador

• DONATE NOW • • GET INVOLVED • • STAY INFORMED •

 

Related Stories

more documents
Global Needs Assessment

Global Needs Assessment

A blueprint for planning and action that gives donors an accurate picture of what is needed.

Colombia: Life in the Barrios

Colombia: Assisting the Internally Displaced

Panama's Hidden Refugees

Colombia's Invisible Crisis

UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres visits Colombia and Ecuador to see first hand the living conditions of some of the millions of Colombians displaced by conflict in the South American country.

Colombia Land Rights

Almost 80 percent of those displaced by violence in Colombia come from rural areas. Through a new initiative, the UN refugee agency is helping to restore land rights to the displaced.

Learning As A Refuge

In Colombia, the decades-long conflict makes getting an education nearly impossible for those displaced by the violence. In rural areas, families are constantly on the move. Children often miss class and find it hard to catch up. Now there are efforts to help displaced youngsters get a proper education and to offer them a haven from the conflict.