海角大神

Christmas is fast approaching鈥�. But in Venezuela鈥�, the holidays have been underway for nearly three months already 鈥� whether citizens like it or not.

Just days after the first U.S. military strike on a boat allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean, leader Nicol谩s Maduro announced that Christmas was going to arrive early this year. 鈥淔or the economy, for culture, for joy and happiness ... starting Oct. 1, Christmas begins in Venezuela,鈥� Mr. Maduro said on Sept. 8 in his nationally broadcast television program, 鈥淐on Maduro +."

So, on a hot and humid Wednesday in October, out came the Santa hats, the sparkling streetlights, and the bouncy Christmas tunes.

It鈥檚 not the first time a drawn-out Christmas has been used to distract the population from political and economic woes. Last year, Mr. Maduro officially called for Christmas to come early, following weeks of civil unrest over a presidential election which he claimed, without proof, to have won. His predecessor Hugo Ch谩vez declared Christmas in October in 2003, when the country was still recovering from a general strike.

Starting in 2007 and lasting nearly a decade, President Daniel Ortega鈥檚 government had the Nicaraguan capital of Managua鈥檚 roundabouts decorated with dazzling Christmas trees for all 12 months of the year. This year, El Salvador鈥檚 Nayib Bukele passed a law requiring Christmas bonuses be paid out by the end of October.

What these leaders have in common is their authoritarian style of governing. And although decreeing Christmas joy is not part of any traditional authoritarian playbook, it does achieve certain goals that might bolster a leader鈥檚 standing, like offering a distraction from a difficult reality or boosting economic activity.

鈥淵ou could say in the U.S. we鈥檝e moved the holiday season earlier and earlier, too, but that is clearly about consumerism. Whereas this is very political,鈥� says Rebecca Bill Chavez, president and CEO of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank in Washington. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e trying to project festivity, but that doesn鈥檛 match reality.鈥�

Joy and control

Christmas has long been a cherished time of year in Venezuela. Seasonal specialties like hallacas, a tamale-like dish stuffed with raisins, capers, olives, and meat, are prepared;聽gaita folk music is played; and carols are sung. Metro stations are decked out with nativity scenes, tree trunks are wrapped in lights with brilliant stars dripping off of branches in public plazas, and government buildings are transformed into canvases for nightly light shows.

Although the early celebrations bothered one government worker, he acknowledges that 鈥渁t night, the city looks more striking, more cheerful,鈥� he says. Like all Venezuelans interviewed for this story, he asked for anonymity to protect his safety. 鈥淚n the end, [people] become wrapped up in that sense of magic.鈥�

Despite Mr. Maduro calling early Christmas a 鈥渄ecree,鈥� there are no written guidelines about what is expected or required of the population. One man in Caracas mentioned that the only apartment in his building with its balcony decked out in shimmering lights belongs to a member of the military. At a moment when neighbors are being encouraged to spy on one another and report government dissent through a mobile phone app, fears of fines or looking disloyal aren鈥檛 unfounded.

鈥淓verything [government officials] have declared has been verbal,鈥� says a human rights defender in Caracas. 鈥淚n other words, officials from SENIAT [the tax authority] or the municipality can tell merchants they have to put up decorations, and if they don鈥檛 ... they will inspect them and sanction them for tax-related noncompliance鈥� and there鈥檚 little a civilian can say to push back.

The government employee says he was required to purchase holiday T-shirts with $10 of his own money 鈥� a high price in Venezuela鈥檚 moribund economy 鈥� and for the first two weeks of October had to dedicate the last hour of each work day to office dance parties with live Christmas music.

鈥淓veryone in the public sector mobilizes and complies,鈥� because they fear their jobs are on the line, he says.

Kurt Weyland, a political science professor at the University of Texas at Austin, puts the early Christmas moves in the same category as dictators in Brazil and Argentina using big soccer wins to project images of strength and development in the 1970s.

鈥淭hese are distractions,鈥� Dr. Weyland says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 less about bringing joy and more about control.鈥�

鈥淰iva la pepa鈥�

Experts say Mr. Maduro鈥檚 Christmas decree is meant to distract Venezuelans from U.S. military threats, one of the worst economic contractions in the world, and a daily struggle to put food on the table. He may also be hoping to boost consumption in a faltering economy, but few Venezuelans have the means to consume more. Venezuela鈥檚 gross domestic product contracted by more than 80% between 2013 to 2020, and inflation is extremely high, eroding wages and purchasing power.

Early Christmas might be more effective as an authoritarian tool if it included government handouts, like much-needed food or medical supplies, says Dr. Chavez, who studies democracy and authoritarianism. The central toolbox of authoritarianism has been 鈥減erfected over time,鈥� and includes things like changing the constitution to allow for reelection or playing with term limits, controlling Congress, stifling the media, and taking away the independence of the judiciary.

Christmas alone, as a tool, 鈥渋s unlikely to work,鈥� she says.

Venezuelans are very aware that there鈥檚 a conflict brewing between Mr. Maduro and U.S. President Donald Trump, says a Caracas-based photographer. But it鈥檚 also necessary to try to carry on with their lives as normally as possible, he says.

鈥淲e celebrate, we have fun, and we wait for things to pass,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the 鈥�viva la pepa鈥� attitude,鈥� a Venezuelan expression akin to 鈥渨hatever happens, happens.鈥�