Thousands of Venezuelan workers took to the streets across the country on Monday in a coordinated national march demanding salary increases that match the cost of basic necessities, highlighting the humanitarian toll of the country's ongoing economic collapse.
The Coalición Sindical Nacional (National Labor Coalition) organized the mobilization alongside education, healthcare, and retiree associations, with the main concentration in Caracas beginning at 10:00 AM at Parque Carabobo before marching toward Plaza Caracas and government buildings.
At the heart of the protest lies an uncomfortable reality: Venezuela's minimum wage of 130 bolívares has remained frozen since 2022, creating what labor leaders describe as a crisis where employed workers cannot afford to feed their families. The wage is acknowledged even by government officials as grossly insufficient against the cost of basic food items.
"We are demanding constitutional rights to dignified living," said Ana Rosario Contreras, president of the Capital District Nursing Association, speaking to Venezuelan media. "This is not charity. Hunger does not wait, and workers remain committed to street action until receiving concrete responses."
The march represents a rare moment of public organizing in Venezuela's increasingly restrictive environment. Under the Maduro government, union activity and public demonstrations face significant risks, including potential arrest, job loss, and harassment by security forces. The courage required to organize such actions underscores the desperation many Venezuelan workers feel.
Labor leaders are demanding not only minimum wage increases but also salary conversion of bonuses, income indexation to inflation, respect for union freedoms, and compliance with Article 91 of the Venezuelan Constitution, which guarantees wages sufficient to cover basic food costs for workers and their families.
The protest comes as Venezuela continues to grapple with the aftermath of hyperinflation and economic collapse that has driven over seven million Venezuelans—roughly one-quarter of the population—to flee the country since 2015. While inflation has stabilized somewhat in recent years through de facto dollarization, wages have not kept pace with the cost of living.
