Pension hike not enough for Venezuelans to afford basic food

By SHAYLIM VALDERRAMA
Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Maybel Sequera and Juan González recently shared for lunch a plate of noodles and beans at their home in a low-income neighborhood west of Venezuela’s capital. Their meager lunch was a gift from a nonprofit organization as the couple cannot afford to feed themselves. The government raised their combined monthly pensions from about $4 to roughly $60 last month. But it would have to be multiplied by six for them to be able to buy a basket of goods. Venezuela has just over five million pensioners, according to official figures. Like Sequera and González, many live in precarious conditions.