CARACAS — Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez asked public and private sector workers for patience on April 8, 2026, promising a minimum wage increase effective May 1 during a nationally televised address. She did not disclose the amount of the increase.

Rodríguez said the wage increase would be implemented in a way meant to avoid the inflationary spike that followed the last minimum wage adjustment. "This increase, as we have indicated, will be a responsible increase," she said. "Likewise in the near future, as Venezuela enjoys more resources that allow for the sustainability of salary improvements and workers' income, we will continue moving forward on this path."

She asked workers and employers across industries to work together with her government to begin a sustained recovery and maintain a path of growth.

The address came a day before workers in Caracas were expected to demonstrate to demand a wage increase. Venezuela's monthly minimum wage stands at 130 bolivars, equivalent to $0.27, and has not increased since 2022. That figure falls below the United Nations' measure of extreme poverty of $3 a day.

Many public sector workers survive on roughly $160 per month, while the average private sector employee earned about $237 last year. Independent economists estimate that a family's basic basket of goods exceeds $500 a month.

Venezuela's central bank released inflation figures for the first time since November 2024, showing the annual rate in 2025 at 475%, up from 48% the year before. The International Monetary Fund estimates Venezuela's inflation rate at 682%, the highest of any country for which it has data.

Rodríguez was sworn in following the U.S. capture of President Nicolás Maduro in January. During Maduro's presidency, millions of Venezuelans were pushed into poverty, and more than 7.7 million people left the country. Since taking office, she has repeatedly promised economic improvements, pitched the country to international investors, and opened Venezuela's energy sector to private capital and international arbitration.