World leaders bid farewell to Hugo Chavez

Over 30 world leaders, including Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have paid their respects to Hugo Chavez at a high-profile funeral held for the former Venezuelan president in Caracas.

The funeral ceremony for Chavez, who died on Tuesday at 58 after a two-year battle with cancer, was held on Friday.

“It’s as if the world has come together around Hugo Chavez,” Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua told the guests. “His voice and his thoughts reached far beyond our shores.”

At the ceremony, acting president Nicolas Maduro laid a replica of 19th century independence leader Simon Bilovar’s sword on the coffin, which was draped in Venezuela’s three-color flag.

Chavez’s body is to be embalmed and put on exhibit “for eternity.”

Cuban President Raul Castro heaped praise on Chavez for his four presidential election victories.

“He was invincible. He left victorious and no one can take that away. It is fixed in history,” he said.

Chavez was born in a poor family on July 28, 1954 in Sabaneta, Barinas state, Venezuela.

He graduated from the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences in 1975.

Chavez became involved in revolutionary movements within the armed forces in 1977.

In 1992, he led a failed attempt to overthrow the government of President Carlos Andres Perez and was jailed for two years. Despite the fact that the coup failed, the incident launched his political career.

Chavez toured the country, electrified Venezuelans with his speeches, and won his first presidential election in 1998. He also won presidential elections in 2000, 2006, and 2012.

In 2002, a group of opposition politicians and troops backed by the United States staged a coup against Chavez. He was arrested and sent to a military base on a Caribbean island.

However, just two days later, the efforts of loyal military officers and massive demonstrations by Venezuelans swept him back to power.
Chavez started the Bolivarian Revolution to establish popular democracy and economic independence and to equitably distribute wealth in Latin America.

He was one of the key players in the progressive movement that has swept across Latin America over the past few years.