New Maduro decree: Christmas in Venezuela already in October

In the midst of a serious domestic political crisis with allegations of electoral fraud, Venezuela's socialist ruler Nicolas Maduro has caused a surprise. “It is September and it already smells like Christmas. As a thank you to the fighting people, I will bring Christmas forward to October 1st by decree,” said the autocrat in his own television show “Con Maduro+”.

It is not the first time that Maduro has made such decisions. During the Corona pandemic in 2020, he already moved Christmas forward to mid-October, and a year later it was October 4. But with October 1, he is setting a new “Christmas record”. “Christmas comes with peace, joy and security,” assured the head of state. The corresponding decree ensures, above all, that Christmas decorations are hung in public buildings.

Bishops’ Conference: Festival is being exploited

The Venezuelan Bishops' Conference criticized the political instrumentalization of the holiday. “Christmas is a universal celebration. The manner and timing of the celebration is a matter for the ecclesiastical authority. This should not be used for specific propaganda or political purposes,” the bishops explained.

Most recently, Maduro also surprised everyone with his own interpretation of the background of Jesus Christ. He was actually a Palestinian child, the ruler announced. At the same time, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch published a report with new serious accusations against the regime. “The oppression we are experiencing in Venezuela is shockingly brutal,” said Americas Director Juanita Goebertus.

There have been massive protests in the South American country for weeks against Maduro's election victory, which was officially announced at the end of July. The opposition announced that, according to its own count of the election documents, its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez had clearly won the presidential election. Independent election observers confirmed this assessment. The USA, the EU and numerous Latin American countries do not recognize the official result and are demanding an independent review. To this day, the Venezuelan judiciary has refused transparent access to the election documents. (KNA)