Christmas will start next month in Venezuela, authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro has decreed – even as thousands of Venezuelans look set to pass the holidays behind bars amid his government’s crackdown on political unrest.
“September smells like Christmas!” Maduro said in his weekly television show on Monday, to the apparent delight of his audience. “This year and to honor you all, to thank you all, I am going to decree the beginning of Christmas on October 1. Christmas arrived for everyone, in peace, joy and security!” he said.
Protests over the vote in the streets of Venezuela have been fiercely repressed. Some 2,400 people have been arrested, and many others are now fleeing the country. Some are hiding in their homes, telling CNN they are afraid to step foot outside due to intimidation by government supporters.
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