Earlier today, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez was laid to rest at a ceremony in the capital city of Caracas. World leaders, and other known figures who shared the left-wing philosophy of Chávez, gathered at a military academy where the beloved leader had been lying in state. Although the mood inside the academy was somber, outside thousands of revelers showed solidarity by respectfully wearing the color red that signified the president’s Socialist Party leanings.
CBS News reports that 30 world leaders were present at the funeral, including U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, as well as former Rep. William Delahunt of Massachusetts. Rev. Jesse Jackson was also in attendance, with Hollywood actor and activist Sean Penn, and U.S. Embassy Caracas Chargé d’Affaires James Derham rounding out the American representation.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Cuban President Raúl Castro, and Bolivian President Evo Morales all stood guard near Chávez’s casket in a moving show of respect. Vice President Nicolas Maduro, who will later be sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president, ceremonially placed a sword atop the leader’s flag-draped casket.
“Here you are commander with your men, standing, all your men and women, loyal as we swore before you, loyal until beyond death,” Maduro said in a speech during the funeral. “We have smashed the curse of betrayal of the country and we will smash the curse of defeat and regression.”
Chávez succumbed to complications related to cancer Tuesday (March 5), leaving many to wonder what will become of the country and its billion-dollar oil industry. Chávez was critical of the United States, most especially former President George W. Bush’s anti-terror policies.
Vice President Maduro announced yesterday that Chávez’s body will be embalmed and put on display inside a glass case inside a military museum.
A champion of the poor, Chávez leaves behind a weighty task for his successor as the country is said to be $100 billion in debt, despite robust oil sales.
Check out photos from the grounds of the Hugo Chávez funeral ceremony below.
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Photos: AP/Reuters
