Venezuelan police deployed tear gas on Thursday to disperse approximately 2,000 protesters in central Caracas who were marching towards the presidential palace to demand significant salary and pension increases. The demonstrators, chanting "Yes, we can!", expressed growing frustration with the cost-of-living crisis and the perceived inaction of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who replaced Nicolás Maduro in January. The monthly minimum wage remains at a meager 130 bolivars (€0.23), unchanged since 2022 and drastically below the UN poverty line. Despite Rodríguez's announcement of a future wage increase, protesters are demanding baseline salary hikes, not just bonuses, as they struggle with annual inflation exceeding 600% and a significant gap between earnings and basic living costs. This protest marks the largest anti-government demonstration since August 2024.