Nations throughout Latin America on Friday mourned the death of Nelson Mandela, a day after the former South African leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner passed away in Johannesburg at the age of 95.
After the world awoke to the news of Mandela’s death, a sense of loss seeped in around the globe, including Latin America, where heads of state declared mourning and poured out superlatives to show their reverence to the man leading the struggle against apartheid and uniting the country as one.
The Brazilian government on Friday declared seven days of official mourning and announced that President Dilma Rousseff is to attend Mandela’s funeral.
The South African government has invited heads of state from around the world to participate in a state funeral and burial slated for December 15.In Cuba, where a large portion of the population is of African ancestry, the Council of State declared three days of mourning starting from Friday in tribute to Mandela, describing him as a “close friend” of the Caribbean island nation.
In nearby Haiti, President Michel Martelly declared Friday a day of mourning in a statement.
The statement also announced that a Haitian delegation will travel to Johannesburg to attend the funeral of the “hero in the struggle against apartheid and of the first black president of a democratic South Africa.”
Mandela spent 27 years in prison after being convicted of treason by the then white minority government in South Africa, only to forge a peaceful end to white rule by negotiating with his captors after his release in 1990.
He led the African National Congress, long a banned liberation movement, to a resounding electoral victory in 1994, the first fully democratic election in the country’s history.
Mandela, who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, had battled health problems in recent months, including a recurring lung infection that led to numerous hospitalisations. He was released from hospital in early September following an 85-day stay for a recurring lung infection, the result of his longtime imprisonment during the apartheid times.
In Santiago, Chile, Foreign Minister Alfredo Moreno Charme Friday visited South Africa’s embassy in Santiago to express the “ condolences” of the Chilean government and highlighted Mandela’s efforts to unite South Africa’s whites and blacks, despite his suffering at the hands of the white-led segregationist regime.
In the Central American nation of El Salvador, the Legislative Assembly declared three days of national mourning from Friday to Sunday. President Mauricio Funes also expressed his “deep sorrow,” saying Mandela’s “death represents an irreparable loss for all humanity.”
In Uruguay, President Jose Mujica Friday called Mandela “the big brother” of those who now fight for social rights. “Our country today pays homage to this man with a unique dream, because that way we can understand that what we are really paying homage to is the best of human nature,” Mujica said in a radio broadcast.
In Paraguay, the Foreign Ministry said Mandela left behind a legacy of love “for life and for peace (that) will forever inspire future generations.”
Culled from www.globaltimes.cn Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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