Venezuela鈥檚 petroleum corporation in the US, Citgo, announced on January 27 the start of its sixth year providing subsidised heating oil to low-income people in the US.
An estimated 132,000 households across the US will benefit from the program this year, amounting to US$60 million of savings.
The program is carried out with US non-profit group Citizens Energy Corporation. Joseph P. Kennedy II said: 鈥淓very year, we hear from families who struggle each and every day to put food on the table and heat their homes.
鈥淲e are deeply grateful to Citgo and the people of Venezuela for their generosity to those who need help keeping their families warm.
鈥淓very year, we ask major oil companies and oil-producing nations to help our senior citizens and the poor make it through winter, and only one company, Citgo, and one country, Venezuela, has responded to our appeals.鈥
Citgo is a subsidiary of Venezuela鈥檚 state-owned PdVSA.
In 2010, an estimated 500,000 people in the US benefited from the program.
Citgo president Alejandro Granado said: 鈥淐itgo is very proud to mark the sixth anniversary of our Heating Oil Program, our flagship social development initiative, which is in alignment with the humanitarian and solidarity principles endorsed by the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela through its national oil company.鈥