The regime of Nicolás Maduro officially advanced the Christmas celebrations in Venezuela with concerts, lights, and a strong political message directed at United States, amid the growing tension with the administration of President Donald Trump.
In homage to you, in gratitude to you... Christmas begins! For everyone, Christmas has arrived with peace, happiness, and security!," expressed Maduro in a video shared by the Chavista government on its Telegram channel, marking the symbolic start of the festivities from Bolívar Square in Caracas.
During the event, the mayor of Caracas, Carmen Meléndez, activated the lighting of Christmas lights in front of hundreds of people who gathered in the iconic square, some in costumes and waving sparklers. “Let the cry of happiness from all the people of Caracas be heard!”, she exclaimed.
Maduro took advantage of the celebrations to send a politically charged message. “Because no one will be able to take away our peace, our tranquility with economic and media warfare, territorial pressures, and tricks imposed by the empire,” he stated, referring to Washington.
On social media, he shared a new episode of the official cartoon Súper Bigote, reinforcing his rhetoric against what he describes as "external aggressions" from the U.S. government.
The early Christmas celebrations in Venezuela occur while the United States maintains a military presence in the Caribbean Sea, supposedly to combat drug trafficking originating from Caracas, according to statements from Trump.
Since September, Maduro had indicated his intention to declare the start of Christmas early, as he has done in previous years since coming to power in 2013. According to him, this measure is a "formula" that has worked "for the economy, culture, and the joy of the people."
In parallel to the lighting of lights in Caracas, the traditional Waraira Repano cross (known as Ávila), a Christmas symbol of the Venezuelan capital, was illuminated.
The head of government of Caracas, Nahum Fernández, announced that in the coming days a cultural agenda organized with the Ministry of Culture will be revealed. “Here we are happy people, we are cheerful people, those who are bitter are in other countries that don’t like Christmas,” he joked.
In Petare, regarded as the largest favela in the country, another celebration took place organized by the Guardia del Pueblo, which included the distribution of Christmas hats and sparklers to children. Major Jhoan Manuel Olages stated that the activities are carried out “in perfect popular-military-police fusion.”
The activist Diana Romero, from the organization One Smile, One Hope, advocated for the advancement of the festivities: “This way, Venezuelans can forget about all those things that have them in distress,” she said, referring to the presence of U.S. military near the Venezuelan coasts.
Meanwhile, in Maracaibo, the capital of the Zulia state, hundreds of people gathered in the Plaza de la República for another celebration featuring music and official events.
These celebrations occur just two days after Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announced that Maduro signed a "decree of external commotion", which grants special powers for defense and security in response to what he described as "threats from the empire."
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