Amid Venezuela's economic collapse, with a minimum wage hovering around a dollar a month and rampant inflation obliterating the income of most citizens, Nicolás Maduro once again shocked public opinion.
This time it wasn't due to an economic measure, but rather a statement that, according to numerous users on social media, bordered on mockery: the president claimed that his only income is a modest "presidential salary" and that he is not interested in material wealth.
During a public event held in the Macarao parish, to the southwest of Caracas, the chavista leader took a relaxed, almost humorous tone when discussing his personal finances.
“I have only one account, a little savings account, where my presidential salary gets deposited, which I never see the face of”, he stated, sparking a wave of criticism and mockery on platforms like X.
The phrase did not go unnoticed, especially in a country where millions survive on incomes well below the poverty threshold.
An income calculated in cryptocurrency... disappeared
The supposed transparency with which Maduro aimed to refer to his salary quickly turned into a confusing exercise.
Instead of speaking in bolívares, the official currency of Venezuela, he resorted to an outdated reference: the Petro, a cryptocurrency launched by his own government in 2018, which is now out of circulation in major markets.
"I earn two Petros, two Petros (approximately 120 dollars). But that money, I never see it, because when I go to get it, Cilita has already taken it to buy something," he assured, laughing, referring to his wife, the politician Cilia Flores.
In a sort of comedic monologue, he added: “I’ve changed the password twenty times, I don’t know how she finds out about the password. I told you I was going to report you.”
Later on, maintaining the same tone of domestic comedy, he recounted an anecdote intended to humanize him: “I just got my holiday bonus deposited, so I quickly went to pick it up to have a cold one with some friends. I couldn’t, I couldn’t. So, just imagine.”
Contrast with the economic reality
Although Maduro insisted that he is not a mogul and does not aspire to wealth, his words sparked outrage in a country where the minimum wage has been frozen since March 2022 at 130 bolívares per month, which is equivalent to nearly one dollar, according to the official exchange rate.
In contrast, the Venezuelan Finance Observatory (OVF) estimates that the cost of the basic food basket exceeds 500 dollars per month, leaving the majority of the population in a state of constant food insecurity.
Additionally, the bolívar has experienced a dramatic devaluation. In 2025 alone, the local currency lost 84.8% of its value against the dollar, rising from 52.02 bolívares per dollar to over 340 bolívares in December, according to official figures.
In this context, the president's statements not only appeared implausible to many Venezuelans, but were also interpreted as an attempt to play the victim in front of an exhausted population.
How much does Maduro really earn?
Beyond its rhetoric, the fact is that the presidential salary in Venezuela is an opaque issue.
According to the Organic Law on Emoluments, Pensions, and Retirement of High Public Officials, the income of the head of state cannot exceed 12 minimum wages, which would amount to around 1,560 bolívares.
However, a BBC investigation citing the same law estimated that Maduro's real salary could be around 4,068 dollars per month, well above the "two Petros" that he himself mentioned.
The lack of transparency regarding the incomes of high-ranking Chavista officials has been a consistent issue.
While Maduro claims to have a "savings account" as his only economic support, independent reports and allegations of corruption point to a lifestyle and a network of privileges that stand in stark contrast to the widespread poverty faced by the Venezuelan people.
Geopolitical context: The pressure from the U.S.
Maduro's statements came at a time of high international tension. That same day, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that the U.S. had begun attacking ground targets linked to drug trafficking in Venezuela, marking a new phase in the actions against what the White House terms a "narcodictatorship."
"We attack all the boats and now we are attacking the area," Trump stated. "It's the area of implementation," he added, referring to an alleged logistical hub of organized crime linked to Maduro's regime.
This offensive, in addition to being military in nature, aims to intensify the international pressure on the Venezuelan leader, whose hold on power largely depends on the support of the armed forces and an increasingly closed government structure.
As the sanctions intensify and international isolation deepens, Maduro seems determined to maintain an image of normalcy before his political base.
His speech on personal poverty, rather than raising awareness among the public, has been interpreted as a failed strategy to empathize with popular sectors living in extreme conditions.
His claim that "he does not want material wealth for his life" has been contradicted by the daily experiences of millions of Venezuelans, as well as reports linking members of the Chavista elite to corruption schemes and shadowy dealings.
Nicolás Maduro's words about his "presidential salary" and his "little savings account" have had a boomerang effect.
Instead of humanizing his figure, they have exposed him even more to public criticism, highlighting the disconnect between his rhetoric and the reality of the country he governs. While the Venezuelan economy plunges and the majority barely survive, the president insists on portraying himself as an ordinary citizen.
But in a country where hunger is a common issue and access to basic services is increasingly limited, that narrative seems more and more difficult to sustain.
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