Christmas will start next month in Venezuelaas decided by Nicolas Maduro, as thousands of Venezuelans look set to spend the holidays behind bars amid their government’s crackdown on political unrest.
“September smells like Christmas!” Maduro said on his weekly television show on Monday, to the delight of his audience.
“This year, and to honor and thank everyone, I will establish the beginning of Christmas on October 1st. Christmas has arrived for everyone, with peace, joy and safety!”
Maduro’s decree – not the first of its kind, but the oldest – comes at a time when Venezuela is struggling with the aftermath of the July presidential elections, in which Maduro won a third term despite global skepticism and protests of the country’s opposition movement.
Bonuses and additional benefits
Christmas in Venezuela is often accompanied by from extra bonuses for civil servants and richer gifts in government subsidies.
Last year, Maduro issued a decree on Christmas to begin on November 1, later expressing regret for not having started them earlier.
In 2021, as the country recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, Maduro declared the start of Christmas on October 4 as a tactic to stimulate the economy.
“The celebration should not be used for propaganda purposes”
Venezuela’s Church Synod protested Tuesday against the unilateral acceleration of Christmas, warning that the holiday “should not be used for political or propaganda purposes.” Christmas is celebrated on December 25, it said in a statement.
Increased repression and deaths
Meanwhile, just hours before Maduro’s announcement, Venezuelan authorities have issued an arrest warrant for their main rival, opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, accusing him of “terrorism-related crimes.”
Gonzalez is being investigated over an opposition website that published the results of the contested elections, Venezuela’s Attorney General’s Office announced.
Maduro has been under pressure from within and abroad since claiming victory. The opposition coalition supporting Gonzalez insists the presidential vote was fraudulent, publishing online the vote count, which experts say shows that Maduro actually lost the presidency by a wide margin.
Election protests on the streets of Venezuela have been brutally repressed. Around 2,400 people have been arrested and many more are now fleeing the country. Some are hiding in their homes, telling CNN that they are afraid to leave their homes because of intimidation from government supporters.
11 murders
The crackdown is the deadliest in recent years, according to a new analysis by Human Rights Watch, which says it has recorded 11 killings it says occurred as part of mass political protests against the July 28 vote.
naftemporiki.gr