Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez asks workers for patience
and promises May wage increase
[April 09, 2026] By
REGINA GARCIA CANO
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez on
Wednesday asked public and private sector workers, whose wages have long
not allowed them to afford basic necessities, for patience as her
government works to improve the country’s economy.
Rodríguez, in a nationally televised address to the nation, promised
workers a wage increase on May 1. She did not disclose the amount but
explained it would be done in a way meant to avoid the inflationary
spike that followed the last minimum wage increase.
“This increase, as we have indicated, will be a responsible increase,”
Rodríguez 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.”
Many public sector workers survive on roughly $160 per month, while the
average private sector employee earned about $237 last year. Venezuela’s
monthly minimum wage of 130 bolivars, or $0.27, has not increased since
2022, putting it well below the United Nations’ measure of extreme
poverty of $3 a day.
The International Monetary Fund estimates Venezuela’s inflation rate is
a staggering 682%, the highest of any country for which it has data. The
country’s central bank last month released inflation figures for the
first time since November 2024, showing the annual rate in 2025 soared
to 475% from 48% the year before.
That has sent the cost of food beyond what many can afford, with
independent economists estimating that a family's basic basket of goods
exceeds $500 a month.
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Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez smiles during a meeting
with a delegation led by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright at
Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana
Cubillos, File)
 Rodríguez's address to the nation
came a day before workers are expected to demonstrate in Venezuela's
capital, Caracas, to demand a wage increase. She told viewers that
change will not happen overnight and asked them as well as employers
across industries to work together and with her government “to begin
a sustained recovery and maintain this path of growth.”
“It must be done with prudence, with awareness,
with patience, but with a profound spirit of optimism about what the
future holds for Venezuela,” Rodríguez said.
Rodríguez has repeatedly promised economic improvements since she
was sworn in following the U.S. capture of then-President Nicolás
Maduro in January. Maduro's entire presidency was marked by crisis
that pushed millions into poverty and drove more than 7.7 million
people to leave Venezuela.
The Trump administration stunned Venezuelans by choosing to work
with Rodríguez, instead of the country’s political opposition, after
Maduro's ouster. She has since led cooperation with the U.S.
administration’s phased plan to end Venezuela’s complex crisis,
pitching her oil-rich nation to international investors and opening
its energy sector to private capital and international arbitration.
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