Christmas will start next month in Venezuela, decreed by the authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro, even though thousands of Venezuelans seem to be spending the holidays behind bars amid his government’s repression of political unrest, CNN reports.
„September smells like Christmas!” Maduro stated on his weekly television show, to the apparent delight of his audience.
„This year, to honor all of you, to thank you all, I will decree the beginning of Christmas on October 1. Christmas has arrived for everyone, in peace, joy, and security!” he said.
### Maduro sets the date for Christmas
This is not the first time Maduro has extended the official national Christmas celebration period, which in Venezuela often comes with additional bonuses for public employees and lavish gifts as part of government aid packages.
Last year, Maduro ordered the Holidays to begin on November 1, later expressing regret that he didn’t start it earlier. In 2021, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, Maduro decreed that Christmas would start on October 4 as a tactic to stimulate the economy.
The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference protested on Tuesday against the unilateral acceleration of Christmas, warning that the holiday „should not be used for political or propagandistic purposes.”
„Christmas begins on December 25,” the organization stated in a declaration.
### The decree masking repression
Maduro’s decree comes as Venezuela faces the consequences of the July presidential elections, in which Maduro secured a third term despite global skepticism and protests from the opposition movement in the country.
Just hours before Maduro’s announcement, Venezuelan authorities issued an arrest warrant for his main rival, opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, accusing him of „terrorism-related offenses.” Gonzalez failed to respond to three summonses regarding an investigation into an opposition website that posted contested election results, the Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office stated.
Maduro has been under pressure both domestically and internationally since claiming victory. The opposition coalition supporting Gonzalez insists that the presidential vote was rigged, publishing online vote counting sheets, which, according to experts, indicate that Maduro actually lost the presidency by a significant margin.
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Protests related to the election in the streets of Venezuela have been ruthlessly suppressed. Approximately 2,400 people have been arrested, and many others are now leaving the country. Some are hiding in their homes, telling CNN they are afraid to step outside due to intimidation by government supporters.
Maduro has been at the forefront of the repression, ordering the opening of two new prisons to house detained protesters and openly calling for all those on the streets to be locked up.
He has also approved what is unofficially called „Operation Knock-Knock” – a play on words after the name of a popular Venezuelan Christmas song, to evoke the sound of government security services knocking on critics’ doors. „Knock Knock! Don’t be a crybaby… You’ll go to Tocorón (a prison),” Maduro shouted at a rally last month.