Chavez Funeral Draws Ahmadinejad, Sean Penn in Teary Tribute
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Allies of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez paid their final respects to the firebrand socialist leader at a state funeral that marked the emotional high point of a week of tributes preceding a snap election to choose his successor.
Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Cuba’s Raul Castro were among more than 20 world leaders bidding farewell to Chavez, who died March 5 after a long battle with cancer. Mourners including Rev. Jesse Jackson and actor Sean Penn shouted “Chavez didn’t die” as they listened to llanero music of the president’s youth and a sword belonging to his hero, 19th century liberator Simon Bolivar, was placed on a flag-draped coffin.