Christmas decorations are already installed in Caracas after the official start of the end-of-year holidays decreed by President Nicolas Maduro.
However, the atmosphere is not one of joy in the streets of the Venezuelan capital.
“What am I supposed to celebrate?” I don’t even know if I’m going to make hallacas this year because I can’t afford it,” explains a retiree, referring to a traditional Venezuelan dish.
“We have the impression that it’s a way of distracting us from everything that’s happening,” adds Valeria Ponce, 22, referring to Mr. Maduro’s re-election last July.
The announcement of this re-election – a third term – provoked spontaneous demonstrations, which were brutally repressed. According to official sources, 25 people died, 192 were injured and 2,400 arrested.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) ratified Mr. Maduro’s victory at the beginning of August with 52% of the votes, without providing the exact count or the minutes of the polling stations. He claims to have been prevented from doing so by an act of computer hacking, the reality of which the opposition and many observers question.
According to the opposition, which made public the electoral documents obtained thanks to its poll workers, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won more than 60% of the votes.