By jtmanley
One major event sent shockwaves throughout Latin America and the rest of the world this week. On Tuesday, March 5, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez passed away after an arduous battle with cancer. As millions of people throughout the region reacted to the news, I knew that I witnessing a seminal moment in modern Latin American history. President Chávez, 58, had governed Venezuela since I was 6 years old. During his 14 years in office, he was lauded for his focus on poverty, social justice, and support for greater Latin American integration. A leftist, he helped create the political space for others throughout the region to come to power. One of those people is the incumbent Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
President Fernández de Kirchner took the death of President Chávez very seriously. Many commentators noted the closeness that Chávez had with her late husband and predecessor Néstor Kircher and the consolation he gave her when Néstor died in 2010. After she learned of her friend and colleague's passing on Tuesday night, she canceled her public schedule, declared three days of national mourning, and ordered all flags be flown at half-mast. She immediately took off for Caracas, making her the first of 55 heads of state and government to attend Chavez's state funeral. ...continue reading "Cristina and the Americas Mourn President Chávez"