The spokesperson for the Human Rights Committee for the Defense of Pensioners, Retirees, Senior Citizens and People with Disabilities in Carabobo State, north-central Venezuela, Alba Morales, repudiated that the payment of the first month of the end-of-year bonus for pensioners of the Venezuelan Social Security Institute (IVSS) was only 130 bolivars just a little more than two ($2.00 U.S.) American dollars.
By: Correspondent lapatilla.1eye.us
She pointed out that this, added to the payment of 130 bolivars for the pension, this means that the elderly received a total of 260 bolivars, less than five U.S. dollars in a fast devaluing currency ($5.00 U.S.), an amount that is insufficient to cover the basic expenses of food and medicines.
He stressed that with the rise of the dollar, both in the official rate of the Central Bank of Venezuela and in the parallel rate, it is becoming more difficult for pensioners to buy the products of the Family Food Basket, which in September 2024, stood at 23,128.50 bolivars, equivalent to $531.57 U.S. dollars, according to the Documentation and Social Analysis Center of the Venezuelan Federation of Teachers (Cendas-FVM).
“With 130 bolivars we cannot have a Merry Christmas. Everything is too expensive. You go shopping and a kilo of meat is between 8 and 9 dollars, and then cheese. All the ingredients of the hallacas are very expensive, a very difficult panorama is looming if there is no solution to our request,” said Morales.
He reiterated the request to the national authorities to implement policies aimed at improving the quality of life of the elderly. She said that for two years, they have been demanding compliance with articles 91, 86 and 80 of the Constitution, which establish the rights and obligations of the State in matters of social security and salaries.
Suspension of pensions
Furthermore, the spokesperson for the Human Rights Committee for the Defense of Pensioners, Retirees, Senior Citizens and People with Disabilities in Carabobo, said that in the last three months they have received complaints from people who indicate that their IVSS pension was suspended.
“These are people who have gone to the corresponding banks and have neither received the pension payment, nor now the end-of-year bonus,” she added.
In light of this, she said that the committee is in charge of reporting these complaints to the IVSS so that the agency resumes payments.