Fetraenergía refutes NABEP'S false salary narrative, demands end to oil exploitation

BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA (By Ana Sanches, Editores Latin Petroleum, 9.Nov.2026, Words: 481) — The national board of directors of FetraEnergía refutes recent statements from NABEP, claiming the North America company is spreading a false salary narrative.

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FetraEnergía’s response follows:

“In response to the recent and irresponsible claims by the company NABEP, which asserts it offers competitive salaries in the Venezuelan oil industry, the national board of directors of FetraEnergía raises its voice on behalf of the dignity of the working class to categorically refute this corporate narrative that attempts to conceal a reality of misery, exploitation, and job insecurity.

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The situation in the drilling fields is unsustainable.

While a drilling worker in the international market, such as the US, earns a base income exceeding $4,400 per month — reaching over $6,000 with legally mandated overtime pay — NABEP condemns Venezuelan oil workers to starvation wages: $600 per month for laborers, $800 for rig workers, and a mere $1,200 for foremen.

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This wage mockery is exponentially worsened when the semi-slave conditions under which these amounts are imposed are examined:

— systematic violation of the collective bargaining agreement and labor laws: NABEP expects these flat wages to cover grueling shifts in the pit, effectively eliminating mandatory payments for rest days, overtime, night shift bonuses, travel allowances, and productivity bonuses.

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— complete lack of coverage for oil workers’ families: unlike industry standards where health insurance is provided to families, NABEP’s policies completely exclude the spouses and children of workers, leaving them at the mercy of a collapsed public health system.

— extreme precariousness through contractors: the situation borders on destitution for outsourced personnel, who receive incomes of barely $550 per month for performing the same high-risk work, widening the inequality gap.

— a work environment of fear and persecution: the most alarming aspect is the workplace terror imposed by the company. Any worker or contractor who dares to demand compliance with the law or report the lack of safety equipment is immediately fired. The right to freedom of association and legitimate grievances has been buried by an environment of coercion that seeks to silence the worker’s voice through fear of losing their daily bread.

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FetraEnergía firmly rejects this model of supposed competitiveness based on the destruction of wages, the suppression of social benefits, and the annulment of constitutional rights.

We demand that the competent authorities conduct an immediate inspection of the drilling rigs operated by NABEP, reinstate the historical contractual benefits of the oil workers’ families, and immediately cease the persecution of union members.

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The dignity of our workers is not negotiable, nor will it bow down to starvation wages.

For a living wage and the definitive restoration of collective bargaining agreements!

Stop the persecution and poverty wages!”

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