Maduro’s Salary: Venezuela Crisis Outrage

Nicolás Maduro’s statements about his alleged salary as president of Venezuela provoked a wave of reactions on social networks and revived the debate about the deep gap between the official discourse and the country’s economic reality. In the middle of a public event, the president stated that he earns “two petros” a month, a figure equivalent to about 120 dollars, and referred to that income as his “little salary,” in a relaxed tone that did not go unnoticed.

“I have only one savings account, where they deposit my presidential salary, I can hardly see his face,” said Maduro, who even joked that his wife, Cilia Flores, has the money before he can use it.

The comment, widely spread on social networks, generated criticism and ridicule, especially because the president mentioned the petro, a cryptocurrency created by his own government in 2018 that today does not circulate or is used as a real reference in the Venezuelan economy, as local media pointed out.

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In Venezuela there is no public and verifiable information on the income of the head of state. As Transparencia Venezuela recalled, there is no accessible official data on the presidential salary, which prevents Maduro’s claims from being contrasted.

“I have no material goods, I have no wealth, I have nothing,” the president insisted during his speech, denying that he has foreign accounts or properties in his name.

The president’s words contrast directly with the salary situation of the majority of Venezuelans. The minimum wage remains frozen at 130 bolivars since March 2022, which is equivalent to less than half a dollar per month at the official exchange rate. Although the government provides complementary bonuses, these are not part of the base salary nor do they affect benefits or pensions.

“I don’t want riches for my life,” Maduro reiterated, presenting himself once again as a “worker president.”

According to the Venezuelan Finance Observatory, the food basket exceeds 500 dollars per month, a figure unattainable for most workers. In this context, many users on social networks described the president’s statements as a sign of disconnection with the daily difficulties of the population, especially in a year marked by the devaluation of the bolivar and the sustained rise in prices.

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Maduro’s statements also come at a time of high political and diplomatic tension, with growing rumors about a possible escalation of the conflict with the United States.

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