Like Maduro, Delcy Rodriguez brings Christmas forward to November 1st in Venezuela

The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, announced that Christmas celebrations will begin on November 1, resuming the tradition of bringing forward Christmas introduced by former president Nicolas Maduro, captured in January by the US military.

The announcement was made during the opening of the annual meeting of Fedecamaras, the country's main business organization, broadcast on public television. "Christmas greatly activates economic activities, but above all it increases the happiness of Venezuelans", he declared.

Maduro had ordered Christmas to start early almost every year since 2017, often in times of economic and political crisis. Rodriguez's decision comes as protests over blackouts and electricity rationing are taking place in several areas of Venezuela.

At the beginning of the week, spontaneous demonstrations occurred in various states, with log and tire burning and road blockades. Rodriguez criticized the resort to violence as Venezuela continues to grapple with economic hardship and shortages of essential services.