In the midst of the crisis, Venezuela promised a bonus of R$11,000 to retired civil servants

The Venezuela government He announced a bonus equivalent to more than $2,200 (R$11,100) to about 120,000 retired civil servants as of 2018, at the height of an economic crisis that cut wages and hurt work benefits for local residents.

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez announced in a statement broadcast on state television that this reward of 10,000 bolivars applies “to all persons in the public sector who retired between January 1, 2018 and May 1, 2022.” “We know they retired with precarious values,” he admitted.

Venezuelan President, Socialist Nicolás Maduro, set the minimum wage at $28 ($142 BRL) per month in March, after devaluing below $2 ($10.17 BRL) due to the effects of hyperinflation, devaluation of the local currency and eight consecutive years out of recession, before rising to 4% in 2021, according to the government.

A basic food basket alone costs about US$450 (2,200 R$) per month in the country, according to data from private sector entities.

Maduro claims that the crisis is caused by sanctions imposed by the United States, which seek to remove him from power, but opposition notes that it erupted long before Washington’s financial restrictions, including preventing American citizens and companies from doing so. Business with the oil industry in Venezuela, in effect since 2019.

The socialist president had announced the bonus payment on Sunday (1), without giving details, amid a pro-government rally marking International Workers’ Day on May 1.

Rodríguez said that this bonus will be paid in three installments, over a 12-month period, until May 1, 2023. Recipients must process the bonus at the human resources office of the organization in which they retired.