CARACAS, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The United States is blocking Venezuelan state funds to be used on treating children with cancer or kidney problems due to its economic and financial sanctions, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Thursday.
The U.S. government denied a request from Venezuela to access funding for medical treatments, which were normally channeled via state oil firm PDVSA and its U.S.-based subsidiary Citgo, said Rodriguez.
"They have refused (to hand over) funds that the PDVSA, through the Simon Bolivar Foundation and Citgo, earmarks and channels annually to treat cancer and kidney patients, mainly children," she said.
The Simon Bolivar Foundation aids patients suffering from ailments that cannot be treated in Venezuela by financing treatments abroad.
"These patients, which are under the protection of this PDVSA program, are being turned out of medical centers," said the vice president. "We have had a death in Brazil and we have serious kidney transplant and cancer cases."
While Washington insists on delivering "humanitarian aid" to Venezuela, it is causing a humanitarian crisis among the sick, said Rodriguez, calling the announced delivery of aid on Feb. 23 "a big circus, a big show."
Venezuela has said it will block the delivery of U.S. aid, which it believes is a pretext to launch a military incursion.
