Headquarters of the Central Bank of Venezuela, with the BCV logo in the foreground. File photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)— Venezuela’s monthly inflation rate fell to 10.6% in April, marking a 2.5 percentage point decrease from March’s 13.1%. Figures released by the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) on Monday May 4 indicate a steady downward trajectory since January, when the economy was severely destabilized by the US military invasion and abduction of President Nicolás Maduro.
Single-digit inflation projected for May
Luis Pérez, the acting president of the BCV, announced that Venezuela is projected to enter a single-digit monthly inflation phase starting in May. According to Pérez, price variations in the final two weeks of April already reached single digits, signaling a return to levels of stability that could strengthen purchasing power and economic growth.
Economic impact of the January shock
Cumulative inflation for the first four months of 2026 reached 90.0%, up from 53.5% during the same period in 2025. The BCV attributed this increase to the “shock” of the January 3 US military aggression, which triggered high uncertainty and volatility in the exchange market. During that period, the unofficial exchange rate spiked to nearly 1,000 bolívars per US dollar, before adjusting to approximately 640 bolívars, using the Binance P2P prices as a reference. Currently, the exchange rate remains around 650 bolívars per US dollar.
Annualized inflation dropped to 611.9% in April, down from 649.5% in March. The BCV noted that an improved flow of foreign currency toward productive sectors has helped mitigate pressure on the exchange market, slowing the growth of prices for goods and services.
Inflation breakdown by sector
The sectors experiencing the highest price variations in April were transportation (11.5%), food and non-alcoholic beverages (11.5%), and miscellaneous goods and services (10.8%). Within the food category, significant increases were recorded for vegetables, roots, and grains (18.2%); fish (14.0%); milk, cheese, and eggs (13.1%); and fruits (12.7%).
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Conversely, sectors with lower variations included housing services (6.1%), health (8.5%), and education services (8.9%). Beyond US direct military aggression, 2026 has been marked by an unprecedented tightening of illegal US sanctions and the presence of a massive US naval fleet off the shore of Venezuela—the largest US naval presence in the area since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis—factors that heavely impacted the exchange rate and national inflation.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SL
