Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced an early Christmas celebration on October 1, 2024, as the country faces political unrest following a contested presidential election.
The move is seen as an attempt to divert attention from the ongoing controversy surrounding the July 28 election, which the opposition claims Maduro stole.
Maduro, who has led the Catholic-majority nation since 2013, is set to begin his third six-year term despite widespread opposition.
The United States and several Latin American countries have backed the opposition’s claims of victory, while even some of Maduro’s allies, including Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil, have refused to recognize the election results without detailed vote tallies.
The Venezuelan elections agency cited a data breach as the reason for not publishing the records, though observers found no evidence supporting this claim. Meanwhile, prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who remains in hiding, accusing him of defying the nation’s laws and institutions.
The aftermath of the election has led to protests, resulting in the deaths of 25 civilians and two soldiers, with nearly 200 people injured and over 2,400 detained.
