Anna Hudak, news editor

On Sept. 2, Venezuelan Pres. Nicolás Maduro declared on his television show, “I am going to decree the early start of Christmas for the first of October for everyone! Christmas has arrived, bringing peace, happiness and safety for all!” Maduro’s declaration on this show, “Con Maduro+,” came hours after an arrest warrant was made for Maduro’s opponent Edmundo González for crimes including “usurpation of functions, forging a public document, instigation to disobedience of the laws (and) association to commit a crime and conspiracy.”

Following the July 28 election, the National Electoral Council of Venezuela (CNE) announced Maduro won the presidential election, however many remain speculative about the validity of Venezuela’s official election results. Breaking the precedent of past elections, Maduro has not released any tangible evidence of his victory which he has blamed on an alleged cyberattack from North Macedonia. González, on the other hand, has published 83.5% of the election vote tallies on a website that supports his significant victory. According to CNN, González’s website has been “verified by civil organizations and independent media outlets” and experts agree “the numbers that appear to portray Maduro as the winner are statistically improbable.” Many foreign governments and international organizations have refused to recognize the results of the Venezuelan government. The U.S. is considering imposing more sanctions on Venezuela in response.

This is Maduro’s second time declaring an early Christmas during political unrest. Christmas began on Oct. 4, 2021 to repair the economy when Venezuela experienced significant economic distress and political tension created by the government’s approach to handling COVID-19. It has been speculated that the 2024 Christmas declaration is an attempt to distract and appease Venezuelan citizens experiencing political oppression and economic insecurity. 

The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference, the Catholic religious authority of Venezuela, in response to Maduro’s announcement stated on Instagram, “The manner and time of its celebration is the responsibility of the ecclesiastical authority. This holiday must not be used for propaganda or particular political purposes.” 

Following the warrant for his arrest, González left Venezuela for political asylum in Spain, “allowed” to leave by the Venezuelan government to preserve peace. In a voice message published in an article from CNN, González said, “My departure from Caracas was surrounded by acts of pressure, coercion and threats.” Gonzalez has not explained when or if he plans to return to Venezuela. However, González has reassured his supporters that he will “continue to fight” for democracy. 

Considering its current state, exactly how Maduro intends Venezuela to celebrate Christmas in October is uncertain. Because of the political violence in Venezuela and the inability of citizens to participate in Christmas festivities due to economic distress, the Miami Herald states “the announcement will most likely only mean that government offices will receive orders to start the Christmas decorations early.”