Venezuelan teacher unions protest school start and salary crisis

Teacher unions in Venezuela are protesting against the Ministry of Education regarding both the academic calendar and the severe economic crisis facing educators. In Barinas, the Coalición Sindical del Magisterio rejected an early call by Education Minister Héctor Rodríguez to begin the 2026-2027 school year, arguing it violates legal regulations that mandate a September 16 start date.

Union representatives also raised concerns regarding the lack of contingency plans for power outages, school cafeteria services, and deteriorating infrastructure. They further challenged official claims regarding teacher earnings, demanding clarity on the reported $506 monthly income which they claim does not reflect reality.

In Mérida, the Coalición Magisterial Regional accused the government of “political mythomania” for misrepresenting teacher incomes. They reported that base salaries range from approximately $0.31 to $0.56 USD per month, while the average total income remains around $0.78 USD. This stands in stark contrast to the food basket cost, estimated at $727.89 USD. The union emphasized that government bonuses do not constitute legal salaries and called for immediate negotiations to address the loss of contractual benefits and various salary premiums.