Maduro announces Xmas celebration for Oct. 1
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has decided to bring forward Christmas to Oct. 1, marking the third time he has done so during his administration. In a TV show broadcast on YouTube, Maduro declared an early start to the festive season to bring peace, happiness, and security to the country still reeling from the controversial July 28 elections.
This announcement is expected to trigger government handouts of food and supplies to less-favored neighborhoods. In a move coinciding with the issuance of an arrest warrant against opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, support for him is flowing in from the international community.