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CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The world's attention has focused on Venezuela in recent weeks over the fallout from the country's popular protests. Controversial presidential election Both the ruling party and its opponents claim to have won the election, followed by the persecution of critics and the issuance of an arrest warrant against the former opposition presidential candidate.
But with political tensions rising, President Nicolás Maduro decided there was a more important issue to discuss: Christmas and the need to start the festive season early this year. In October, to be exact.
“It's September, and now we smell Christmas. That's why this year, as a way to honor all of you, and as a way of being grateful to all of you, I will announce Christmas early on October 1,” Maduro said Monday evening during his weekly television program.
But not everyone seems willing to start signing Christmas carols.
“Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, family gatherings, parties and gifts. (But) without money and with this political crisis, who can believe that Christmas will come early?” said Jose Ernesto Ruiz, a 57-year-old civil servant, on Tuesday in the capital, Caracas.
This is not the first time Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has declared Christmas early. He did so during the Covid-19 pandemic, but never before has he done so this early. The political mood this year is particularly tense, even if Maduro says the season will bring “peace, happiness and security.”
Electoral authorities loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 election without providing any detailed results to support their claim, as they did in previous presidential elections.
But the lack of transparency has drawn international condemnation of Maduro and his allies, while the main opposition faction has produced electronic copies of its own election results showing that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez He got the most votes.
Just hours before Maduro announced the holiday, a Venezuelan judge issued a 10-year prison sentence. An arrest warrant has been issued for Gonzalez.a former diplomat, is accused of various crimes including conspiracy, document forgery and usurpation of authority.
Protests erupted against Maduro’s announcement after the election, and the government responded by arresting scores of people. Since then, more than 2,000 people have been detained — including journalists, politicians and aid workers.
“We are all worried about how to provide food, how to pay for the bus, how to send the children to school and buy medicine when we need it,” said Ines Quevedo, a 39-year-old secretary and mother of two.
“I don't think they will improve our salaries or pay us the 'aguinaldo,'” she added, referring to the Christmas bonuses that workers typically receive at the end of the year.
The minimum wage has not changed since 2022: 130 bolivars per month, or about $3.55. Workers also receive a monthly food aid bonus of about $40, and those who sign up for government benefits get an additional $90.
“We'll see what happens this Christmas,” Quevedo said.
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Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean on https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
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