CARACAS, April 9, 2026

Venezuelan police fired tear gas on Thursday to disperse around 2,000 protesters who marched towards the presidential palace to demand salary and pension increases. The protesters, who chanted "Yes, we can!" as they made their way through central Caracas, are demanding increases to baseline salaries and not just to their bonuses, which have been increased in the past even as wages remained stagnant. The monthly minimum wage in Venezuela is 130 bolivars (€0.23), unchanged since 2022, and roughly 330 times lower than the UN poverty line of $3 (€2.56) a day, which means that many Venezuelans struggle to survive on their current income.

The Protesters' Demands and the Government's Response

The protesters' demands for pay rises come after acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced an increase in wages on May 1 but did not disclose the amount. Rodríguez, who succeeded former leader Nicolas Maduro after his capture by US forces in a January 3 raid, has advocated a "responsible" increase in salaries that does not cause a spike in inflation. However, the protesters are skeptical of the government's intentions, with Mauricio Ramos, a 71-year-old retiree, saying "Enough of this deception about salary increases. They want to pass off our government bonuses as a salary. That is completely unheard of." Mauricio Ramos said this to express his frustration with the government's lack of transparency and to emphasize the need for a genuine increase in salaries, rather than just bonuses.

The Use of Tear Gas and the Protesters' Reaction

The police's use of tear gas to disperse the protesters has been met with anger and defiance, with some protesters shouting "Let's go to Miraflores!" as they attempted to march towards the presidential palace. The protesters' determination to press their demands for pay rises is driven by the desperate economic situation in Venezuela, where annual inflation is over 600% and the cost of basic food needs is around $645 per month, far beyond the reach of most Venezuelans. The fact that the monthly minimum wage is 130 bolivars (€0.23) means that many Venezuelans are forced to live in poverty, and the protesters are demanding a significant increase in salaries to address this issue.

The Broader Context of the Protests

The protests in Venezuela are part of a broader movement demanding economic reforms and an end to the country's economic crisis. The fact that the protesters are chanting "Yes, we can!" suggests a growing sense of confidence and determination among Venezuelans to demand change and to hold their government accountable. The protests also reflect the growing assertiveness of Venezuelans, who had largely refrained from public shows of dissent in the last year-and-a-half of Maduro's increasingly authoritarian rule. According to sources, the protesters chanted "Yes, we can!" to express their right to protest and to demand economic reforms, and this chant has become a rallying cry for the movement.

The Economic Cost and the Future of the Protests

The economic cost of the protests is already being felt, with the Venezuelan economy struggling to recover from years of mismanagement and corruption. The fact that the monthly minimum wage is 130 bolivars (€0.23) means that many Venezuelans are forced to live in poverty, and the protests are a desperate attempt to address this issue. The future of the protests is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the Venezuelan government will have to respond to the protesters' demands for pay rises and economic reforms if it wants to avoid further instability and unrest. The protesters' determination to press their demands suggests that the protests will continue until their demands are met, and the government will have to find a way to address the economic crisis and to restore the trust of the Venezuelan people.