One of the people I met during a visit to the shelters in August was Brenyer Caballero González, a 10-year-old who played on the soccer team for Anzoátegui state in northeastern Venezuela before being diagnosed with cancer in March. His parents struggled to find food to provide him with a balanced diet and treatment for his cancer. They purchased chemotherapy on the black market, which they could only afford thanks to donations from a group abroad. Twice, they used expired chemotherapy drugs because it was all they could get. In August, the three fled to Brazil in search of treatment for Brenyer. They spent weeks living in a shelter. In October, with UNHCR support, Brenyer was transferred to Brasilia to obtain medical care. Brenyer’s dream is to feel better to play soccer.

Even though she struggled to protect Brenyer from the heat and get the medical care he needed, his mother was one of the many people who said that, despite the very difficult circumstances they faced, they were better off there than in Venezuela.