Venezuela police tear gas protesters calling for pay and pension rises

Venezuelan police fired tear gas on Thursday to disperse around 2,000 protesters who marched towards the presidential palace to demand salary increases, AFP reporters said. "Let's go to Miraflores!" the demonstrators shouted as they pressed long-standing demands for increases to wages so low that many struggle to survive. Riot police with helmets and shields attempted to drive back the protesters as they made their way through central Caracas, a few kilometres from the presidential palace. The protests reflect growing anger in Venezuela over the failure of acting President Delcy Rodriguez to set out concrete plans to address the situation. On Wednesday, she went on television to announce a wage increase on May 1 but did not disclose the amount. Rodriguez, who succeeded former leader Nicolas Maduro after his capture by US forces in a January 3 raid, said it would be a "responsible" amount that would not cause a spike in inflation. The demonstrations also reflected 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. Mass protests that followed Maduro's disputed claim of victory in August 2024 presidential elections were brutally repressed. "Yes, we can!" they protesters in Caracas chanted on Thursday they marched, referring to their right to protest. Former vice-president Rodriguez received the nod from US President Donald Trump to succeed Maduro, provided she gave Washington access to Venezuelan oil. Under pressure from Washington to ease repression, she pushed through an amnesty for political prisoners. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)