It’s Decided: Chavez Won’t Be Embalmed

March 16, 2013 | | Print Print |

The procession of Chavez’s coffin being moved to the Caracas Military Museum. Photo: telesurtv.net

HAVANA TIMES — Plans to embalm the body of Hugo Chavez and put him on permanent display were called off on Friday, reported dpa news.

On Wednesday, interim President Nicolas Maduro had said that doubts had arisen about the embalming process, hinting that precious time had been lost in the prolonged wake.

Maduro based his statement on the expert opinion of Russian and German scientists.

The latest statement notes: “To carry out the procedure the body would have to be sent to Russia for a period of 7 or 8 months,” said the minister of communications, Ernesto Villegas. “After receiving this report the idea of embalming was definitely discarded.”

Also on Friday, the 11th day after Hugo Chavez died, his remains were transferred in a massive procession to the Caracas Military Museum, where they will remain “until the family decides the final destination.”

Bolivian President Evo Morales and numerous Venezuelan officials accompanied the massive procession moving the coffin.

 


What's your opinion?

  • Moses Patterson

    During his battle against cancer for more than 600 days, Chavez never expressed his desired resting place? Hard to believe. Instead, what this means is that Maduro and Chavez family members are playing this by ear based on self-serving political interests. It has been 11 days for goodness sakes, plant the guy and be done with it.

    • Griffin

      My bet is Chavez told his family where to bury him. But the whole morbid spectacle is being driven by political forces who are ignoring his wishes and exploiting his remains for political gain. The confusion is a sign of in-fighting.

      Meanwhile, during a ceremony for Chavez, general Jacinto Pérez Arcay, slips and says that “chavez arrived from Cuba dead”.

      Oops, he wasn’t supposed to say that!

      • mishkamo

        First time I hear of this “slip”,but then I’m not in the inner circle. Do you have a link to this “fact” if it is one?

        • Griffin

          It’s in a youtube video at Babalublog, but as the editor of HT doesn’t like to link to them, I invite you to go find it.

        • Moses Patterson

          O ye of little faith:
          http://www.diariodecuba.com/internacional/1363378843_1470.html

          The problem with the Chavez mob is that they are such bad liars. As a result any random ABC or El Pais news story is believable. George Bush II was a much better liar with regards to WMDs in Iraq. He had satellite photos and Colin Powell to back his story. The best Maduro could muster were those 4 badly photo-shopped images of Chavez in theater make-up reading Granma and Chavez son-in-law. I knew they were faked because no one smiles like that reading Granma! So much of this story was shrouded in unnecessary secrecy. Why don’t they say what kind of cancer killed Chavez? What is the point in keeping that a secret now?

  • http://twitter.com/rojo_rojitoCort Cort Greene

    This from Sabina Becker’s blog, By the way, it appears that Chavecito will not be embalmed and placed in a glass casket in the National Pantheon, as was initially suggested.Information minister Ernesto Villegas announced as much today(Friday). It turns out that the process that would have preserved him in a displayable state like Lenin would have taken 7 or 8 months (!), and would have required the transportation of his body to Russia for that time. Not good in the event that he might need to be exhumed if there is a public inquiry into the causes of his death. And not a very desirable circumstance for a people that don’t want to part with him ever again.

    —

    As for everything the oppo’s and many of this list say, who seem to know very little and take everything out of content and context ( I’m being nice) here is an article in Spanish on what general Arcay said ( I watched the transfer and ceremony streaming live) http://www.luchadeclases.org.ve/venezuela-leftmenu-161/7314-discurso-tergiversado-perez-arcay and Alan Woods audio speaking on the life of Hugo Chavez and the future of the Venezuelan Revolution.

    http://archive.org/details/AlanWoodsChavezLeadOff