Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez used a nationally televised address to tell public and private sector workers to wait as her government seeks to stabilize the economy and improve incomes. In the remarks, Rodríguez promised that a wage increase would take effect on May 1, but she said the increase would be carried out “in a responsible” way meant to avoid repeating inflation surges that followed the previous minimum wage hike.
Rodríguez’s appeal to patience came as Venezuela’s wages have long failed to keep pace with basic costs, according to the Associated Press report. She did not specify the size of the May increase, and she framed the move as part of a longer effort rather than an immediate turnaround.
In the address, Rodríguez explicitly linked the wage policy to inflation control, saying the government would implement the increase in a manner intended to avoid the inflationary spike that followed the last minimum wage adjustment. She also told viewers that, as the country secures more resources to sustain salary improvements, the government would “continue moving forward on this path of growth.”
The AP report said that many public sector workers make about $160 per month, while the average private sector employee earned about $237 last year. It also said Venezuela’s monthly minimum wage is 130 bolivars, or about $0.27, and has not increased since 2022, placing it below the United Nations’ measure of extreme poverty of $3 a day.
Rodríguez made the case for gradual progress while pointing to the scale of the economic challenge facing the country. The report cited International Monetary Fund estimates that Venezuela’s inflation rate stands at 682%, described by the report as the highest among countries for which the IMF has data. The report also said Venezuela’s central bank released inflation figures for the first time since November 2024, showing the annual rate in 2025 rose to 475% from 48% the prior year.
With inflation pushing up food costs beyond what many people can afford, the AP report said independent economists estimate that a household’s basic basket of goods exceeds $500 per month. Against that backdrop, Rodríguez’s televised comments also served as a message to both workers and employers as the government prepares for planned labor demonstrations.
Rodríguez’s address came a day before workers were expected to demonstrate in Caracas to demand a wage increase. She told viewers that “change will not happen overnight,” and she asked employers across industries to work with workers and with her government “to begin a sustained recovery and maintain this path of growth.” She added: “It must be done with prudence, with awareness, with patience, but with a profound spirit of optimism about what the future holds for Venezuela,” according to the AP report.
The report said Rodríguez has repeatedly promised economic improvements since she was sworn in following the U.S. capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro in January. It also said her government has worked with the Trump administration’s phased plan to end Venezuela’s complex crisis, including pitching the oil-rich country to international investors and opening the energy sector to private capital and international arbitration, as described by the AP.