WASHINGTON, DC – A crowd of approximately 200 gathered at the Bolivarian Hall of the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, D.C. March 5 to pay their respects to deceased Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez at the first year anniversary of his passing. The event was part of a global commemoration called “Por Aquí Pasó Chávez” (Chávez was here), organized by the Venezuelan government, and featured a photo exhibit depicting the leader’s life and a concert by the Venezuelan traditional music group “Ensamble a Contratiempo.”
The festivities were headlined by Julio Escalona, Venezuela’s ambassador to the United Nations and a former guerrilla commander. He said that “President Chávez has been at the forefront of his own people and of the peoples of Latin America, and all of the people of the world that he loved”.
The photo exhibit entitled, ‘The Lifeline of Commander Hugo Chávez’ portrayed the evolution of Chávez from childhood, to revolutionary commander, to president. It was intended to emphasize the “Revolutionary Government’s achievements in the face of terrible socio-economic conditions… inherited from a past regime”. It had pictures of Chávez as a young child, his entrance into the military academy, work he did with unions, and shots from his television show “Aló Presidente” in which he encouraged citizens to voice their opinions of government programs and sometimes made official state policy.
Luis Flores from El Salvador, who attended the event, told Radio VR that he learned a lot from Hugo Chávez. He said he learned “how you can help the people, how you can make something different in the countries, especially in Latin American countries, the poor countries”.
Denise Pollock, from Alaska, said, “My first exposure to Chávez, the legacy of Chávez, was when I was young. I found out that he supported some of the low income villages in Alaska and he provided oil for these communities, who were struggling in the winter time. So I was fascinated by that gesture and since then I’ve tried to learn more about Chávez and what he’s done.”
In Caracas, the Venezuelan government commemorated Chavez’s passing with a military parade attended by several Latin American presidents including Cuba’s Raúl Castro, Bolivia’s Evo Morales and the host, Nicolás Maduro.
