Maduro says he'll also raise gasoline prices to international levels — a combination of measures critics say will only make things worse. Maduro's government says that in late-September, the world's cheapest gas will rise to international levels to curtail rampant smuggling across borders. Maduro said Friday that the minimum wage will also soon jump dramatically. Maduro also announced Friday a more-than-3,000 percent leap in the minimum wage, bringing it up to around $30 at the widely used black market rate. "The measures announced on Friday are not any economic recovery plan for the country," opposition leader Andres Velasquez said.

Source: Forbes August 19, 2018 19:07 UTC