Caracas, Venezuela – In an unexpected move, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has declared that Christmas will be celebrated on October 1 this year, in an apparent effort to shift focus away from the contentious results of the recent presidential election.
During a television broadcast on Monday, Maduro, who is set for a third six-year term despite widespread opposition and international criticism, announced the change. “It’s September, and it already smells like Christmas. That’s why this year, in homage to you, in gratitude to you, I am going to decree that Christmas be brought forward to October 1,” he said.
The announcement has sparked mixed reactions among Venezuelans. José Ernesto Ruiz, a 57-year-old office worker in Caracas, questioned the decision. “Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, family reunions, parties, presents,” Ruiz said. “(But) without money and with this political crisis, who can believe that there will be an early Christmas?”
This year’s early Christmas comes amid heightened political tensions following the disputed July 28 election. The ruling party’s electoral authorities declared Maduro the winner, but failed to provide detailed results, citing data corruption by hackers—an explanation that has been widely disputed.
The U.S. and several Latin American countries support the opposition’s claim of victory, while even Maduro-friendly nations like Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil have refused to recognize the official results. The main opposition candidate, Edmundo González, has presented electronic vote tallies showing his victory.
In a further escalation, a Venezuelan judge has issued an arrest warrant for González, accusing him of conspiracy and falsifying documents. Maduro defended the action, stating, “Nobody in this country is above the laws, the institutions, as this … coward Edmundo González Urrutia has tried to be.”
The aftermath of the election has seen significant unrest, with protests resulting in the deaths of 25 civilians and two soldiers, and nearly 200 injuries. The government’s response has included a crackdown, with over 2,400 arrests, including journalists, politicians, and aid workers.
For many Venezuelans, the early Christmas does little to address their daily hardships. Inés Quevedo, a 39-year-old secretary and mother of two in Caracas, expressed skepticism. “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,” she said. “I don’t think they will improve our salaries or pay us the ‘aguinaldo’,” referring to the traditional Christmas bonus.
With the minimum wage stagnant at 130 bolivars per month (about $3.55), and modest food assistance and government benefits, many Venezuelans remain uncertain about the impact of this early Christmas. “We’ll see what this Christmas is all about,” Quevedo added.