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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Tom Phillips Latin America correspondent and Patricia Torres in Caracas

Christmas Caracas: early festivities are no joke as Maduro tightens grip

People walk through a tunnel made of Christmas lights in Caracas
Christmas season kicks off in Caracas following a decree by Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro. Photograph: Gaby Oráa/Reuters

’Twas 85 nights before Christmas when the decorations went up – at least in Venezuela, where President Nicolás Maduro has decided festivities should start early in an apparent attempt to lift spirits and distract minds after the recent election scandal.

A month after Maduro announced that Christmas 2024 would begin in October, residents of Caracas left home on Tuesday to find the capital’s boulevards and plazas decked with LED light strings and sculptures declaring: “Feliz Navidad.”

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