Ahmadinejad Steals Show At Chavez Funeral
The funeral of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was notable for the absence of Arab leaders, while Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad generated controversy by comforting Chavez’s mother, writes Ali Hashem.
Arab leaders were missed at Hugo Chavez's funeral. None showed up, despite the fact Chavez was known for his pro-Arab stances. According to one of his Arab affairs advisers, "Chavez risked many of Venezuela's interests for the Palestinian cause, but that meant nothing to the Palestinian leaders who did not travel to Caracas for his farewell."
The most senior Arab officials to take part in the funeral – which was attended by more than 30 heads of state – were two ministers representing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas respectively. The adviser, who is of Arab descent, spoke sorrowfully. "I couldn't look in his eyes even though he was dead. He did everything he could for Arabs, but their leaders were ungrateful." He added: "We know that people in the Arab world were as sad as Chavez's admirers here." Over one million Venezuelans are of Arab descent. Venezuela's interior and foreign ministers descend from Syria and Lebanon, respectively.
