In one of his finest posts, Daniel in Yaracuy province describes the curious reverse phenomenon now seen in Venezuela under the Hugo Chavez regime: the effort to eradicate all symbols of secularism and holiday cheer in Venezuela, in favor of a highly politicized, chavista-cized more ancient Christian model. It’s a strike against globalization and the U.S. in particular. That’s why Daniel’s seeing some weird things around Yaracuy, and he’s posted all the photos, well worth a click here.

While we are on the topic of Christmas, take a look at Alek Boyd’s ‘Merry Christmas Venezuela’ post and photo, showing Santa Chavez with his loyal elves. (Scroll down from here.)

UPDATE: The scroogery is not limited to Caracas. It seems to have its origins in Havana, where Santa Claus is banned. CB at Killcastro has an item here.