A refugee has shared her incredible story of fleeing her country disguised as an old woman in a wheelchair. Niloha Rangel, who is a doctor originally from Venezuela, had to escape from her home country after her campaign work led to threats from the country's authoritarian regime.
Niloha felt like she had no choice but to flee her country by crossing the border between Venezuela to Colombia. With the help of the Salvation Army Niloha managed to come to the UK and is now living in Wrexham.
This week marks Refugee Week – a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity, and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. According to Niloha Wales should be proud of its nation of sanctuary status.
Niloha arrived in the UK in 2018. Like many others in Venezuela the mother-of-two faced hardship amid political turmoil in the country. In 2014 a series of protests, political demonstrations, and civil insurrection began in Venezuela due to the country's high levels of urban violence, inflation, and chronic shortages of basic goods and services.
At the time Niloha worked as a consultant paediatrician in the Venezuelan capital city of Caracas. "It was a very metropolitan city," she recalled. "Our country used to be one of the wealthiest because we relied on the oil industry and we were exporting it all over the world. The capital was beautiful, very modern, had huge motorways and beautiful contemporary buildings.
"In my spare time I would enjoy running and cycling – I was an enthusiastic runner and I enjoyed outdoor sports. I would enjoy going down to the beach that was very close to the city. I used to go out and have a cup of coffee or a meal with friends.
"But after the regime started everything started to tumble down and it was not the same city. We weren't free and we weren't safe on the street – it became very dangerous.
"You could be sitting outside a restaurant with your mobile on display on the table and it would be stolen. You couldn’t wear jewellery, you couldn’t take your laptop out with you. You couldn't stay out until late or even in the daytime. Me, my family, or even my children could've been kidnapped at any time."
In response to the regime Niloha and many other Venezuelan people took to the streets to protest and riot against the country's governance. The medical activist said: "I was rioting and protesting for the rights of my patients. At that time a lot of corruption and inflation rates meant that my patients weren't getting medicine, chemotherapy, or regular antibiotics.
"On top of that people were starving. We didn't even have staple food like meat, flour, or anything like that. People were starving but at the same time people were dying because they weren't getting the treatment they needed.
"I was doing it for my children as well. Me and my husband were very concerned about their safety. I was a mother to two teenagers and I felt a certain level of responsibility to protect their future.
"Those times were really hard. I was tear gassed and at one point I nearly drowned because I had to jump into the river to be saved. But it did not stop me from campaigning. I was convinced that we could knock down the president and stop everything bad from happening."
Under the fourth Geneva Convention Niloha raised a Red Cross flag above her hospital in order to protect it from potential attacks. Soon after she gave a radio interview criticising the Venezuelan government. As a result Niloha was persecuted and sent to prison.
Upon her release Niloha was fearful for her life and her family's safety. "I was suffering with panic attacks, I couldn't go to work, and my children couldn't go to school," she explained. "A lot of doctors were disappearing and that scared me. I had to do something for myself, my family, and my children. And that's when I realised I had to flee my country."
Niloha and her son decided to travel to the Venezuelan-Colombian border via the Simón Bolívar bridge, which has become the epicentre of massive migration over the years. According to Niloha she was aware of the dangers that could happen while travelling by foot and as a result it was decided that she would disguise herself as an old woman in a wheelchair.
She said: "The bridge is not that long but people carry their whole life all packed in a rucksack. Some people are limping or carrying their babies. It was a horrendous experience – you could be exposed to extortion, abuse, someone could kidnap or rob you.
"And that's why I decided to disguise myself as an old woman in a wheelchair. I dyed my hair white, wore really thick glasses, and pretended I was this very old woman crossing to the other side and seeking health resources.
"My son was with me because he was old enough to escape. It was a very unique way of fleeing but I was desperate and I needed to get to the other side of the bridge. I knew I was getting into something dangerous but I had a positive attitude that we were going to make it.
"I felt relief when I reached the other side of the bridge – weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I couldn’t cry, it was mixed feelings – it was happiness and sadness. Never did it cross my mind that I would seek asylum in my life. I was leaving my loved ones, all my belongings, my work, my car, my circle of friends, my everything."
Niloha and her son soon landed in the Colombian capital of Bogotá and thanks to her medical background Niloha was able to find volunteer work at the city's Salvation Army. But according to Niloha she hadn't entirely escaped from the clutches of her home country's regime.
"The Venezuelan police knew that I was there," she said. "They kept chasing or cornering me. I couldn't leave the premises where I worked because they would find me. I couldn't even go and buy my toiletries.
"Because of this situation I wasn't safe at all and the church where I worked told me that I had to leave Colombia as well. They told me that they had a connection with a Salvation Army in Wrexham.
"I knew about Wales but had never heard of Wrexham before so I had no idea what to expect. But I thought: 'Anything will do as long as I'm safe'. They got in touch and a family from the Salvation Army told me that they had hosted refugee families before and were happy to care for another one."
Niloha and her son have been living in Wrexham for more than three years. She is grateful that she has been given refuge and now calls Wrexham her home.
"I love living here," she said. "Wrexham has embraced and welcomed me. The people of Wrexham have been brilliant in helping us settle here. I enjoy running again and have joined a running club. I enjoy the football here and have started volunteering at a local church as well.
"I'm studying to become a GP here which is a lengthy process but I'm excited to see where that takes me. Of course I miss my daughter and my family. I speak to my daughter every day and I hope she can move here with me one day."
As an ambassador for Refugee Week, which is celebrated from June 20 to 26, the doctor believes that everyone should make an effort to make Wales a nation of sanctuary. She added: "If you have fled persecution or war everyone deserves a place you can start from scratch and start a new life.
"Wales has done amazing things – it is a nation with a proud history of migration and being a safe place. But it is also important to understand and celebrate the contributions refugees have made to Welsh life. All over Wales we should be making this into a reality."
