The international community and much of the country’s population may be in an uproar over accusations that he stole July’s presidential election, but for strongman Nicolas Maduro, Christmas has come early in Venezuela — so early, in fact, that he plans to officially start it on October 1.
“September is coming and I said it smells like Christmas,” Maduro told state television earlier this week. “And for that, and as a tribute to all of you, I am going to announce the early start of Christmas for everyone on October 1! Christmas has arrived and brings peace, happiness and security to everyone!” he declared.
Maduro made the announcement amid a wave of repression that has seen nearly 2,000 protesters jailed, including aides to opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González, and an alarming number of teenagers detained while protesting the announced results of the July 28 presidential election.
Just hours before Maduro announced his decision to bring forward the religious holiday, effectively delaying it by some three months, his regime formalized an arrest warrant for González, the opposition presidential candidate, whom more and more countries believe was the real winner of July’s election.
But this is not the first time the socialist strongman has decided to move the start of Venezuela’s holiday season. He did so in 2019, when he moved the start to November 1 in an attempt to quell unrest over coronavirus measures, marches led by opposition leader Juan Guaidó and a deep humanitarian crisis caused by the collapse of the economy.
The Christmas holidays are traditionally a long affair for Venezuelans, who would take three weeks off even in December to relax, party, and spend time with family and loved ones. But few are currently able to take three months off work to enjoy a holiday, as most people struggle to make ends meet while living in a failed economy. So the announcement will most likely only mean that government offices will be ordered to start decorating early for Christmas.
On Tuesday, the Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference, the highest representative of the Catholic Church in the country, said it found the announcement to be in bad taste.
“Christmas is a celebration with a universal character. The manner and time of its celebration are the responsibility of the ecclesiastical authority. This holiday cannot be used for propaganda or specific political purposes,” the conference said in a statement posted on Instagram.
