By David Brooks

From the Mexican newspaper La Jornada

NEW YORK – Venezuela’s project of solidarity with the United States, through the donation of home-heating oil to low-income and vulnerable neighborhoods, began its eighth year this week, announced Citgo, a subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, and its partner, Citizens Energy Corp.

The plan will help about 100,000 families in 25 states, including more than 240 communities of native Americans.

In a ceremony at a family shelter in Baltimore, Citgo’s chief executive, Alejandro Granado, joined Joseph P. Kennedy II, president of Citizens Energy Corp., a nonprofit energy company, in launching the eighth annual edition of the Citgo-Venezuela home-heating oil program.

The plan has benefited more than 1.7 million people since 2005, when it began as a Venezuelan donation to help the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The program evolved and became associated with Kennedy’s organization. It has donated more than 200 million gallons of fuel oil, valued at more than $400 million.

This program, Granado said, “is one of the most important efforts to provide energy assistance in this country.” He said that the percentage of resources that Citgo has spent on social programs in the United States has been up to five times greater than the amount other major U.S. oil producers have contributed.

This year’s donation will be even more important, he said, because it will benefit many of those affected by Hurricane Sandy along the east coast. The program is “an integral example of the humanitarian principles endorsed” by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), Granado said.

Former U.S. Representative Joseph Kennedy (oldest son of Robert F. Kennedy) said that the donations from “the people of Venezuela” have helped hundreds of thousands of U.S. families in the past seven years and stressed that “it is critical that we continue to support American families through this program.”

This year “we’ll help more than 400,000 persons to stay warm and safe this winter,” he said.

Kennedy recalled that he met with representatives of the main oil producers in the United States and other countries to ask for their support in the effort. “All said no, except for Citgo, President [Hugo] Chávez and the people of Venezuela,” he said.

The project was launched in 2005 by Venezuela’s then-Ambassador to the United States Bernardo Álvarez, who today is Ambassador to Spain.

For additional information, call up: www.citizensenergy.com and www.citgo.com