Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced that Christmas celebrations in the country will be shifted from the traditional December 25th to October.
This decision was made public during a live television address on September 4th, 2024. Maduro stated, "It is September and it already smells like Christmas.
And that is why this year, in homage to you, in gratitude to you, I am going to decree the advancement of Christmas to October 1. Christmas starts on October 1 – for everyone, Christmas has arrived, with peace, happiness, and security."
However, this announcement has been met with widespread criticism and disbelief among Venezuelans, who are grappling with severe economic hardships.
The minimum wage in Venezuela has remained stagnant at 130 bolivars per month (approximately £2.67) since 2022. Despite additional monthly food assistance and government benefits, many citizens find it challenging to meet their basic needs.
Ernesto Ruiz, a 57-year-old resident of Caracas, expressed his frustration, saying, "Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, family reunions, parties, presents. But without money and with this political crisis, who can believe that there will be an early Christmas?" Inés Quevedo, a 39-year-old secretary and mother of two, echoed similar sentiments.
"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. I don’t think they will improve our salaries or pay us the 'aguinaldo'," she said, referring to the Christmas bonuses that workers usually receive at the end of the year.
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