Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announcing a monthly income raise for workers in Ciudad Bolívar, Bolívar state, on April 30, 2025. Photo: Presidential Press.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced there is to be an increase in the monthly war bonus paid to public workers from US$90 to US$120 (indexed), bringing the monthly income to US$160, which represents a 23% increase. Pensions will increase from US$30 to US$50 per month.
During an event in Ciudad Bolívar this Wednesday, April 30, the head of state also announced the creation of a “unified protection bonus for working families” through the Patria System, which will cover at least 5 million families and has been activated starting May 1.
“It’s an important adjustment, because these latest sanctions against the oil company [PDVSA], against oil investments, were intended to take away all our income,” the president said. “I can tell the imperialists and the criminal fascist far-right: they failed!”
These special bonuses are not part of the base salary paid to Venezuelan workers; thus, they do not impact vacation, salary, seniority, end-of-year bonuses, or retirement packages, for which many workers in Venezuela hope.
The current minimum wage for public sector workers remains stagnant at the equivalent of US$1.9 (130 bolivars) per month, a figure frequently cited by mainstream media and far-right opposition to attack President Maduro’s administration without acknowledging the “titanic effort” made to improve working-class conditions.
“I will ratify by decree everything related to income policy, and maintain the indexation” that exists for war bonds and cestatickets, the head of state explained, meaning that payments are made in bolivars but use the US dollar as a reference—called indexation by Venezuelan authorities—to bypass devaluation and prevent a drop in workers’ wages.
“Two years ago, I implemented indexation. Since then, we’ve increased the minimum comprehensive income by 135%,” he highlighted.
“In the worst of circumstances, we have found a way to improve step by step,” President Maduro continued, explaining it as an attack on the currency: “their attack on the (so-called) criminal dollar; be patient, we will defeat it, as we have defeated it on other occasions!”
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The Venezuelan president also announced a special nationwide plan for the Workers’ Homeland (Patria Obrera) and Workers’ Housing. He reported that Jorge Márquez, vice president of public works and services, will provide a detailed explanation in the coming days and that the Great Venezuela Housing Mission and Barrio Nuevo Barrio Tricolor will join forces on this plan.
President Maduro also stated that his government will increase support for entrepreneurship, “because it makes good money, creates jobs, and allows entrepreneurs to have a little more income.”
“Today, through the Credinómina program, belonging to the Banco Digital de los Trabajadores (formerly Banco Bicentenario), we are releasing 10,000 loans for Venezuelan working-class businesses,” he added.
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
