Venezuelan union leaders, retirees and public sector workers marched Thursday toward the presidential palace in Caracas to demand higher wages and dignified pensions, but police blockades stopped the protest as officers were deployed early across downtown, according to the Associated Press.
The protests took place a day after acting President Delcy Rodríguez went on national television to ask public and private sector workers for patience while her government works to improve the country’s economy. In her address, Rodríguez said her administration planned a wage increase on May 1, without disclosing the amount, and she framed the move as intended to avoid the inflationary spike that followed the last minimum wage increase.
Union leaders put the protest demands in terms of purchasing power rather than headline wage changes. José Patines, a marching union leader, said, “Call for elections and leave, that’s what the Venezuelan worker wants today,” adding, “Because if on May 1 they come with an increase of a few dollars, no. We don’t need it. We want a salary with purchasing power.”
AP reported that National Police officers were positioned early Thursday to intercept the march. Demonstrators at several points breached initial barriers, but reinforced blockades eventually halted the crowd, which left most protesters about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Miraflores presidential palace.
During the scuffles between police and protesters, AP reported there were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests. The confrontation followed the government’s attempt to manage expectations after months of household financial pressure, as wages have not allowed many workers to afford basic necessities, AP said.
AP said Venezuela’s minimum wage has not increased since 2022, leaving it far below the United Nations’ measure of extreme poverty of $3 a day. The AP report also noted that while many public employees can rely on roughly $160 per month through bonuses and other stipends, private sector earnings averaged about $237 last year.
In her television remarks, Rodríguez described the May 1 change as “a responsible increase,” and she said workers’ income would continue improving “in the near future” as Venezuela “enjoys more resources that allow for the sustainability of salary improvements and workers’ income.”