Death and funeral of Hugo Chávez facts for kids
Hugo Chávez, who was the President of Venezuela, passed away on March 5, 2013. He was 58 years old. Because of his death, Venezuela's rules, called the constitution, said a new president had to be chosen. An election needed to happen within 30 days.
Nicolás Maduro, who was the Vice President, became the temporary president. On April 14, he was officially elected as the new president.
A Leader's Farewell
The Funeral Plans
President Chávez's funeral was held on March 8. Many people attended to say goodbye. At first, Vice President Maduro said that Chávez's body would be preserved. This process is called embalming. The plan was to display his body permanently in a glass coffin at a military museum.
However, on March 13, Maduro announced a change. He said that the embalming would not happen. There was not enough time to prepare everything properly.
A Final Resting Place
The period of national mourning was extended by four more days, making it eleven days in total. After this time, Chávez's body was moved. It was taken to the Museum of the Revolution at Fort Montana.
President Chávez's body was never embalmed. He was later buried in a cemetery in Venezuela.
