‘Christmas is dead’ in Venezuela’

“Christmas is dead,” says Elise Belisario, who, like many Venezuelans, can’t afford to hang decorations or make a traditional holiday meal this year.

And 2016 augurs bleak times too in this staggering oil giant, where the new year looks set to bring political power struggles and little respite from a crippling economic crisis.
Belisario lives in the sprawling slum of Petare, on the outskirts of Caracas, which is suffering this holiday season from the shortages and triple-digit inflation gripping Venezuela — the twin tribulations of the once high-flying economy’s demise.
Where Christmases past brought exuberant decorations and balconies drenched in lights, this year Petare’s streets are drab and dark.

“There’s just not enough money. We’ve switched off Christmas,” said Belisario, a 28-year-old with two kids who recently lost her job.

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