Santa Claus visits the slum of Petare Caracas, Venezuela
Due to the harrowing economic recession in Venezuela, many Venezuelan families are finding difficult to buy Christmas gifts for the children, decorate their homes or even host holiday dinners
The oil-rich country is suffering through the third year of a recession that has sparked product shortages and galloping inflation. With a recent currency depreciation pumping up prices even higher, some parents are simply canceling Christmas.
"Last year I bought everything for my daughter," said Dileida Palacios, 40, a hairdresser dressed in black to mourn for her son, who was killed in crime-rife Venezuela a few weeks ago. "This year I had to tell her everything is tough and Santa Claus isn't coming."
Like Palacios, about 38.5 percent of Venezuelans think this Christmas will be worse than last year's, and 35 percent think it will be the worst ever, according to a poll by consultancy Ecoanalitica and Catholic University Andres Bello.
Several days of unrest over a national cash shortage have added to the grim national mood
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