(CNN Spanish) –– The United States Department of State said this Friday that the Government of Nicolás Maduro blocks the departure of Americans who are trying to leave Venezuela in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic.
"The illegitimate Maduro regime has not allowed US citizens to leave Venezuela, despite various efforts by the US government to organize humanitarian flights," said Morgan Ortagus, a spokeswoman for the State Department, in a written statement sent to CNN.
Ortagus added that the US has "made offers in the past that could allow US citizens to leave, but all have been rejected by Maduro and his accomplices."
The spokeswoman did not give details of how many Americans remain stranded on Venezuelan soil or have requested repatriation.
His comments come two days after the Maduro government sent a letter to the permanent US ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, requesting that the state airline Conviasa be allowed to carry out "punctual" humanitarian flights to transfer people between the two countries due to the pandemic.
The Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Jorge Arriaza, published the letter on Twitter this Thursday and ratified "the free offer to repatriate our compatriots in the United States and transfer US citizens to their country, with the safest health protocols, via Conviasa."
The Maduro regime's proposal faces several challenges. On the one hand, President Donald Trump recognizes Juan Guaidó, president of the National Assembly, as the interim president of Venezuela. At the same time, the state-owned Conviasa is subject to sanctions and is not allowed to operate between the two countries.
Venezuela's air borders have been closed since March and for now the Maduro government has not reported a date for their reopening.
This Thursday, Venezuela reported that coronavirus cases in the country reached 37,567 and deaths totaled 311.
Juan Carlos López and Osmary Hernández contributed to this article.
Covid-19 Department of State Nicolás Maduro Pandemic