Latin America Mourns the Death of Nestor Kirchner

Buenos Aires, Oct 27 (Prensa Latina)

An avalanche of sympathy messages is pouring into Argentina from all over Latin America for the sudden death of former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, who died Wednesday of a heart attack at a hospital in Calafate, Patagonia.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez regretted the loss of the popular Argentine politician, who at the time of his death was secretary general of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

With interviews of experts and politicians who knew him and special reports, the Venezuelan media is extensively covering the death of Kirchner, who was also a legislator, and chairman of the Justicialist Party, with aspirations of running for president again in the 2011 elections.

From Brasilia, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sent a message of condolence, stating that "the Brazilian government and I were shocked by the news of Kirchner´s death."

"Nestor Kirchner was a great ally and a fraternal friend," emphasized Lula, who highlighted that Kirchner "made a notable contribution to the economic, social and political reconstruction of his country, and to the common fight for South American integration".

President Fernando Lugo of Paraguay expressed his grief at the sudden loss of "a friend and a partner in the construction of a Latin America without exclusion, with an active role in the process of regional integration."

Messages are also coming from El Salvador, Mexico, Uruguay, Ecuador and the rest of the region.