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Delcy Rodríguez, acting president of Venezuela, announced on Wednesday a "responsible" salary increase for the month of May, in statements broadcast by Venezolana de Televisión during a public event where she reviewed the evolution of the minimum wage in the country since 2021.
In his remarks, Rodríguez detailed the history of the minimum wage in dollars: "In October 2021, the minimum wage for workers reached 30 dollars. It remained the same in 2022. By March and May 2023, we reached 45 dollars; in January 2024, it was equivalent to 104 dollars; in May 2024, 134 dollars; in May 2025, the equivalent of 161 dollars; and by March 2026, we reached 190 dollars thanks to an extraordinary income we received."
Rodríguez attributed the increase in March to extraordinary income from the sale of fuel oil, announced through a digital application from Palacio de Miraflores, and noted that the goal is to sustain that level over time.
However, the figures that the government presents correspond to the so-called "comprehensive income," which includes the base salary plus a series of bonuses.
The minimum wage in bolívares has been frozen at 130 bolívares since March 2022, equivalent to less than one dollar per month at the official exchange rate of 473.91 bolívares per dollar.
Analysts estimate that the government is preparing an increase of up to 150 dollars in terms of comprehensive income for May 1st. According to economist Tomás Socias López, the increase would be financed with revenues from Seniat, which amount to around 1.8 billion dollars per month, and would also be negotiated with the private sector.
Luis Vicente León, from the firm Datanálisis, anticipates that the increase will be applied through bonuses —for food and other concepts— rather than through a raise in the base salary, in order to avoid impacting the calculation of social benefits and to contain the inflation, which accumulated 52% just in the first quarter of 2026.
The gap between real income and the cost of living remains enormous. The basic family basket for five people was estimated at $645.60 in February 2026, according to the Center for Documentation and Social Analysis of the Venezuelan Federation of Teachers (Cendas-FVM), far above the current total income of $190.
The announcement comes at a time of increasing social pressure: public sector workers, educators, and healthcare staff have been protesting since the end of March, demanding indexed salaries.
The first of May, Labor Day, is shaping up to be the date chosen by Rodríguez to formalize the increase, which also has a political dimension in his effort to consolidate popular support.
Rodríguez has been governing as the acting president since January 5, when the Supreme Court of Justice sworn her in under the figure of forced absence of Nicolás Maduro, a term that does not exist in the Venezuelan Constitution. Maduro was captured by U.S. forces on January 3 during the so-called "Operation Absolute Resolution" and faces trial for narcoterrorism in U.S. courts.
The United States lifted the sanctions against Rodríguez on April first, in what analysts interpret as part of a tacit agreement with her government.
Venezuela has been without an election date for more than three months, with Washington pressing for a democratic transition that still has no defined timeline.
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