Venezuelan pensioners and public servants protest against the government

Record ID: 1685859

  • Title: Venezuelan pensioners and public servants protest against the government
  • Date: 23rd August 2022
  • Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (AUGUST 23, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PUBLIC SERVANTS, PENSIONERS, AND STUDENTS DURING THE PROTEST BANNER WITH IMAGE OF TWO HANDS HOLDING EACH OTHER READING (Spanish): ‘Together for a liveable wage’ PROTESTERS CHANTING (Spanish): ‘We are on the street for a liveable wage!’ PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER AND CHANTING (Spanish): ‘Rights are defended no matter who governs’ (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PENSIONER, JESUS JARAMILLO, SAYING: “We are on the street protesting for the right to live. Us pensioners are dying due to a lack of medicines and food. The fight on the street is to achieve a fair vindication process and to really achieve the social justice that this country needs so badly.” PROTESTERS PROTESTER HOLDING BANNER READING (Spanish): ‘No more human rights violations” STUDENT PROTESTERS HOLDING WHITE SIGNS AND CHANTING CARDBOARD SIGN READING (Spanish): ‘There is money for corruption, not for education. 3 dollar scholarship” (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE VENEZUELA’S STUDENT FEDERATION, JESUS MENDOZA, SAYING: “We are on the street not only supporting the teachers but also demanding student vindication. We demand a date for the opening of the dining hall, we demand all the transport units to be provided with fuel. We demand liveable scholarships. It is not possible that yesterday they raised the value of the scholarship from 6 bolivares to 18 bolivares, that is to say, 3 dollars (eds note: one dollar is equivalent to 6 bolivares according to the Central Bank of Venezuela's rate). We demand a living wage for our teachers and administrative workers". PROTESTERS MARCHING AND CLAPPING PROTESTERS CHANTING (Spanish): ‘I have no fear, I got rid of it. What I want is to eat a good steak’ PROTESTERS WITH VENEZUELAN FLAG PROTESTER WITH WHITE SIGN READING (Spanish): ‘Shoot bread because we are hungry’ (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PUBLIC SERVANT, JOSE PEREZ, SAYING: “Whatever raises we get they will be useless. Some so-called congress members say we are asking for illicit raises of 500-600 bolivares (eds note: 79.61 to 95.54 dollars according to Central Bank of Venezuela's rate). That is not true, we are not asking for a raise. What we are asking for is for the ONAPRE (National Budget Organization) handbook to be repealed. We are like Rocky against the ropes, receiving blows, but here we are.” PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER READING (Spanish): ‘RESPECT FOR LABOUR RIGHTS’ VARIOUS OF POLICE OBSERVING PROTESTERS PROTEST
  • Embargoed: 6th September 2022 21:23
  • Keywords: Nicolas Maduro corruption pensioners protest public workers
  • Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001022423082022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Venezuelan public servants protested on Tuesday (August 23) to demand a liveable wage and the repeal of government regulations which they say have reduced their income by 40%.
    The protest was also joined by pensioners and students. Protesters marched from the Education Ministry to downtown Caracas.
    Pensioner Jesus Jaramillo told Reuters he was protesting for “the right to live,” adding that many pensioners are dying due to a lack of medicines and food.
    Besides demanding better wages for university workers and teachers, students also demanded better scholarships, which were recently raised from one dollar to three dollars, said the president of Universidad de Caracas’ student federation.
    High prices and the country's de facto dollarization have widened the wage gap between workers in the public and private sectors. Venezuela's minimum salary is equivalent to about $22 a month.
    Annual inflation in the year through July hit 137%, according to Reuters calculations using central bank data, the highest rate in the region.
    (Production: Johnny Carvajal, Nina Lopez)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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