Caracas, Venezuela — Union leaders, retired and public sector employees capital of venezuela They marched towards Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday demanding higher salaries and respectable pension, but were stopped by the police.
Protests took place the next day Acting President Delsey Rodriguez appears on national television Ask public and private sector employees to be patient as their government works to reform country’s economy.
For years, workers’ wages have not allowed them to afford basic necessities. Many public sector workers live on about $160 a month, while the average private sector worker earned about $237 last year.
National police officers were deployed to downtown Caracas early Thursday to stop the march. At times, protesters successfully broke through initial barriers. Reinforced blockades eventually contained the crowd, leaving most of the protesters in Miraflores, about 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) from the presidential palace.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries or arrests during clashes between police and protesters.
In his address, Rodriguez promised workers a wage increase on May 1. He did not disclose the amount, but said it would be done in a way that would avoid a spike in inflation after the previous minimum wage increase.
Venezuela’s minimum wage of 130 bolivars, or $0.27 a month, has not increased since 2022, putting it well below the UN’s extreme poverty measure of $3 a day.
“As we have indicated, this increase will be a responsible increase,” Rodriguez said. “Similarly in the near future, as Venezuela has more resources that allow wage reform and stability of workers’ incomes, we will continue on this path.”
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