After controversial election Venezuela's President Maduro moves Christmas to October
Christmas will come much earlier in Venezuela this year, at least if controversial head of state Nicolás Maduro has his way. It's a bizarre move in politically tense times.
05.09.2024, 00:00
dpa
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- President Nicolás Maduro wants to celebrate Christmas in Venezuela as early as October.
- It is a reaction to the tense political situation in the South American country.
- The bizarre proposal is far from being welcomed everywhere.
- Maduro already wanted to bring Christmas forward during the coronavirus pandemic.
When it came to Venezuela, the world's focus in recent weeks was on the aftermath of a controversial presidential election. Both the ruling party and the opposition claimed victory. The government has cracked down on its critics - most recently an arrest warrant was issued for the opposition's presidential candidate, Edmundo González.
But as political tensions escalate, the authoritarian head of state Nicolás Maduro has discovered a new topic for himself: Christmas and the urgent need to ring in the festive season a little earlier this year - in October, to be precise.
"It's September and it already smells like Christmas," Maduro explained on his weekly TV show on Monday evening. "That's why this year, to pay tribute to all of you and out of gratitude, I've decided to decree an early Christmas for October 1st."
It wouldn't be the first early Christmas
But not everyone seems to be keen to start singing Christmas carols. "Christmas should be a time of joy, of family gatherings, of parties, of presents," said José Ernesto Ruiz, a 57-year-old office worker, in the capital Caracas on Tuesday. "But without money and with this political crisis, who can believe that Christmas will come early?"
This is not the first time that Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has brought Christmas forward. He already resorted to this during the coronavirus pandemic. However, he never set such an early date. This year, however, the situation is particularly tense - even though Maduro claims that the festivities will be characterized by "peace, happiness and security".
International criticism of lack of transparency
The pro-government electoral authorities declared Maduro the winner after the ballot on July 28, but failed to publish detailed results. The lack of transparency was criticized and condemned by countries around the world. At the same time, the opposition published copies of vote counts showing that their candidate received the most votes.
Hours before Maduro's festive announcement, a judge issued an arrest warrant for ex-diplomat González, accusing him of various crimes including conspiracy, falsification of documents and usurpation of office.
Protests against Maduro's proclamation as the winner began soon after the election - and the government reacted with severity. More than 2,000 people, including journalists, politicians and employees of aid organizations, have since been arrested.
Fear for the much-needed Christmas bonus
"We are all worried about how we are going to put food on the table, how we are going to pay for the bus, send the children to school and buy medicine when we need it," said Inés Quevedo, a 39-year-old secretary and mother of two. "I don't think they will improve our salaries and pay us the 'aguinaldo'," she added - referring to the Christmas bonus that employees usually receive at the end of the year.
The minimum wage has not changed since 2022: 130 bolivars per month. This corresponds to around 3.01 francs. Workers also receive a monthly allowance for buying food, which amounts to around 34 francs. Those who have registered for a system of government benefits will receive an additional 75 francs. "We'll see what this Christmas is all about," Quevedo said.
