Overview

• Maduro announced the early start during his Con Maduro + program on state TV and YouTube, opening with the gaita Huele a Navidad to signal the move.
• He said repeating the formula benefits commerce and culture and defends Venezuelans’ “right to happiness,” calling 2025 a year of progress.
• The early-Christmas tactic has been used repeatedly since 2013 and returns for a second straight year to the Oct. 1 date.
• The rollout comes as Caracas condemns U.S. naval deployments near Venezuela; authorities report a mobilization of 25,000 troops to border and coastal states.
• Analysts and religious leaders have criticized the measure as political theater and short-term relief, noting its use to spur consumption and advance social aid distributions.