Miraflores Palace via Reuters
Cuba's President Raul Castro salutes the body of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at Thursday's wake with Chavez's daughter, Rosa Virginia, right, and Venezuela's Vice President Nicolas Maduro at the military academy in Caracas.
By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News
Well-known fans of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ? from Cuban President Raul Castro and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to movie star Sean Penn and the Rev. Jesse Jackson ? gathered in Caracas Friday to bid farewell to the ex-paratrooper and socialist revolutionary who dominated the nation for 14 years.
The funeral service was rich in pageantry. More than two dozen heads of state wearing dark suits filled seats at the military academy where Chavez?s body had laid in state for two days, drawing thousands of sobbing Venezuelans for a glimpse of "El Comandante."
His flag-draped casket was flanked by four Presidential Guard soldiers in red and gold dress uniforms. Guests were led down a flag-lined red carpet to their seats and announced on state television.
?
?
Boris Vergara / EPA
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking upon his arrival in Caracas, is one of the heads of state attending Hugo Chavez's funeral Friday.
Chavez?s hand-picked successor, Vice President Nicolas Maduro, placed a golden sword on the casket ? a symbol of Latin American revolutionary Simon Bolivar, who inspired Chavez?s philosophy and politics.
Maduro was slated to be sworn in as interim president Friday, ahead of an election to be held within 30 days ? news that immediately sparked controversy.
The opposition said it would boycott the swearing-in, insisting the speaker of the National Assembly ? and not Maduro, who will be running for president ? should fill the temporary opening.
Chavez died Tuesday after a two-year battle with cancer, ending a tenure during which he captivated and polarized Venezuelans, brought socialist policies to the oil-rich nation, and sparred with the United States.
The United States was represented at the funeral by two Democratic politicians ? Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., and former Massachusetts Congressman William Delahunt.
"My deepest sympathies go out to the family of President Chavez and the people of Venezuela,? Meeks said in a statement.
"Venezuela is an important nation to the Western Hemisphere. I remain committed to building the relationship between our nations. As always, I stand in continued support of the Venezuelan people especially at this time of mourning."
Chavez had been sick for almost two years, during which time he declared himself free of cancer twice. The unspecified tumor in his pelvis, which had him shuttling between Venezuela and Cuba for treatment, didn?t prevent him from being elected to a fourth term but he was never sworn in.
His death unleashed an outpouring of grief from his most loyal supporters, known as Chavistas. They filled the streets of Caracas for Wednesday?s six-mile funeral profession and waited in line for hours to see his body at the military academy.
The body will remain there for a week and then go on permanent display at a military museum.
Fans of Chavez ? many of them poor Venezuelans who depended on the government for jobs, homes and low food prices ? said the pomp and circumstance was fitting for such a high-profile leader.
"This is historic," Edila Ojeda, a 57-year-old janitor, told the Associated Press. "He was a world leader recognized internationally. I am speechless. It is impressive."
Others called it excessive.
"He was a president, and I would say not a good one. Not a hero," Gloria Ocampos, a retired office manager, told the AP. "He should be buried, just like any other president. They are treating him like he was the father of the country ... It?s crazy."
Tens of thousands of grieving Venezuelans lined up for miles in the streets of Caracas to pay their respects to the open coffin of Hugo Chavez. ITV's Matt Frei reports.
Related:?
Chavez, his hero Bolivar to be united in death?
Socialist socialites: Hollywood mourns Hugo Chavez
Full coverage of Hugo Chavez's death from NBC News
This story was originally published on Fri Mar 8, 2013 6:18 AM EST
London 2012 Fencing olympics chariots of fire nbc Medal Count Sam Mikulak London 2012 diving
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.