Christmas is not exactly my favorite holiday, especially this year. A dark cloud of uncertainty is looming over us. After Venezuela's current regime shamelessly stole the July 28th presidential elections, the sky is the limit for what can happen here.
These holidays have been the perfect truce to induce a most needed trance of normality. True, people need a break from political confrontation. Also true, no one wants to spend the rest of their lives in prison for no reason (so why bother messing up with an authoritarian regime?). However, the more we try to isolate ourselves from a toxic atmosphere and seek refuge in spirituality, work or the triviality of social media, the more the threat grows and the higher the chances of its tentacles reaching us sooner or later.
Since July 28th, I have said goodbye to quite a few friends and relatives. Most of them I will probably never see again, except through pictures of video calls.
Millions of dollars have been diligently spent on making every square of every city and town look like an amusement park.
A merry xmas has been frantically decreed and happiness, prosperity and normality has been broadcasted in every public concert, while most towns actually struggle to cope with utility services deficiencies and thousands of people will spend Christmas and New Year in creepy cells where their most fundamental human rights (and those of their relatives) are violated every day.
Their crimes? you may wonder. According to the regime, they are all terrorists. Their definition of terrorism? To demand constitutional rights and use their speech and reason to express their disagreement.
We have no choice but count our blessings. Those who can still walk, work, eat or love have no choice but enjoy whatever time life gives us. However, there are pressing matters that sooner or later will demand our full attention, time and energy.
We pray for justice and humanity to prevail and hope one day we can enjoy all those pretty lights without wondering what the catch is.
I certainly hope that despite all the stuff that's going on, I think these Christmas time felt like a break everyone deserved. At the very least, there's a simple joy in this celebration despite the future that seems so bleak and can be so uncertain.
Of course. Some people may be gone before January 10th (for different causes). Life is that frágiles, so we have no choice but to enjoy every day, every meeting, dance, drink or meal.