Caracas, March 24 (RHC)-- Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced Tuesday that Washington refuses to authorize humanitarian flights to bring back Venezuelans stranded in the United States.

"We denounce that the U.S. insists on its air blockade of Venezuela and still refuses to authorize direct humanitarian flights from Conviasa or other airlines, to bring back the more than 800 compatriots stranded in the United States," the diplomat said.

Arreaza reiterated that the request for humanitarian flights responds to a request made by Venezuelans themselves to the Venezuelan Attention System in the United States.  Washington’s position is part of the illegal sanctions imposed on February 7th on the Venezuelan airline Conviasa. 

These measures not only affect the airline's commercial activities, but also the humanitarian governmental initiatives like the ‘Return to the Homeland’ program and the medical ‘Miracle Mission’, both on behalf of Venezuelan people. 

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has requested that the U.S. government lift its sanctions due to the COVID-19 outbreak.  Maduro called on the Venezuelan people to help demand the end of the economic blockade, especially during this “worldwide crisis period.”