What happened: Christmas has been moved in Venezuela. On Tuesday (October 1), the residents of the capital saw a massive Christmas tree in the main square. Decorations were hastily put up in other parts of the city as well. However, Venezuelans aren't in the mood for celebrating due to the country's dire situation. "It's terrible, it's October," said one resident. "Halloween hasn't even passed yet, and it's already Christmas?" he added.
Crisis in Venezuela: The Associated Press highlights that Christmas has always been an important event for Venezuelans. In the past, they received work bonuses—often three times their salary—and could make carefree purchases with "full wallets." Today, wages in the country are modest, largely due to the ongoing economic crisis.
Rigged elections: Nicolás Maduro won the presidential elections held in July. According to the opposition and many citizens, this victory was achieved through electoral fraud. Following the announcement of the results, protesters took to the streets, which led to violent clashes. Several dozen people were killed, and more than 2,000 individuals, including minors, were arrested.
Context: In September, amidst accusations of election rigging, Nicolás Maduro decided to change the official calendar and issued a decree moving Christmas to October. "This year, as a tribute to everyone, in gratitude to you all, I will decree the moving of Christmas to October 1st," he said. This occurred shortly after an arrest warrant was issued for his rival in the presidential election. Edmundo González Urrutia was accused of "crimes related to terrorism."
