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“Today citizens are suffering the worst crisis in our history. The increase in the price of the dollar increasingly impoverishes Venezuelans, who have a minimum wage that is not even enough to buy a piece of cheese and bread.” said the member of the national leadership of the COPEI party, Rogelio Díaz.
This week the price of the parallel dollar exceeded the barrier of 600,000 (Bs per $), while on Friday, November 13th, the closing price exchange rate of the same was near 700,000 bolivars, when the minimum wage in Venezuela, approved by Nicolás Maduro’s regime, is 400,000 bolivars a month, that is, 0.5 dollars a month is what an ordinary Venezuelan earns.
For this reason, the leader of the Christian Democratic Party reiterated that: “The citizens are getting poorer while the dollar is skyrocketing and the dictatorship does nothing. Every minute that Maduro spends in Miraflores usurping power translates into more Venezuelans dying every minute from extreme poverty, from not being able to access medicine and food.”
Days ago Díaz, had spoken through his Twitter account about this same concern that crush Venezuelans: “The dollar passes the barrier of 600,000 Bs. (…) There are those who make a joke about that, others who are happy and others who are concerned because we know that the majority of Venezuelans live on a pension or a minimum salary, that today more than ever they are suffering from hunger and needs.”
High cost of living
The official exchange rate of the Central Bank of Venezuela on Friday stood at 607,475.82 Bs per dollar, this means that the minimum monthly wage in Venezuela of 400,000 bolivars is a vanishingly small 0.65 cents according to the official rate. While on the black market, the currency closed the week at an average of 692,000 bolivars per dollar.
The price of a package of 1Kg Corn Meal Flour (updated) is 544,000 Bs per unit, which is equivalent to 0.8 cents. In other words, a public sector employee who earns a minimum wage of 0.65 cents would need 0.15 cents to complete the amount of a precooked cornmeal package.
The price of a 1Kg package of rice (updated) is 997,000 Bs per unit, which is equivalent to $ 1.64. In other words, a public sector employee earning a minimum wage of 0.65 cents would come 0.99 cents short of completing the amount of one kilogram rice bag.
For this reason, it is important that all Venezuelans come out on December 12th to express their will in the Popular Consultation against the electoral fraud that the regime wants to accomplish on Dec 6th. We will raise our voices and we will not rest until we achieve democracy and freedom in Venezuela.
