Report shows protests increased by 47% in Venezuela in first quarter

The Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflicts (OVCS) released a report showing that the number of protests in Venezuela increased 47% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, reflecting the deterioration of living conditions in the country ruled by dictator Nicolás Maduro.

According to the report, the organization recorded 2,814 protests between January and March, an average of 31 per day. In the first quarter of 2022, 1,909 demonstrations had been recorded.

The OVCS pointed out that labor rights were the most common demand in this year’s protests by being the subject of 2,165 demonstrations.

“A year has passed since the last wage adjustment [in a country that closed 2022 with 234% inflation].”

“In these last 12 months, Venezuelan workers have been subjected to [mere] survival in the face of a government that does not meet the demands of the demonstrators,” the observatory pointed out in the report.

“Every day, citizens express their disagreement with the precarious living conditions arising from a dollarized economy, amidst scenarios of corruption and impunity, where authorities are indolent in the face of basic needs,” the OVCS added.

Improvements in education were the second most recurrent issue, as they motivated 1,714 protests, followed by demonstrations by retirees and pensioners, with 368 records.

The sum of the three issues exceeds 2,814 protests because different sectors of Venezuelan society joined together in several demonstrations to protest against the Chavista dictatorship.

Other reasons for protests were poor road conditions, garbage collection failures, telephone and internet service interruptions, gasoline shortages, corruption, and human rights violations.

According to the OVCS, 56 protests were repressed in 18 states across the country, with a balance of 14 protesters arrested and one injured.