Hugo Chávez Museum Opens In Cuba Dedicated To Venezuelan History, Late President

Animal Politico reports that Wednesday marked the inauguration of a new museum in Havana dedicated to late Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, a close ally of the Cuban government who passed away last March from cancer. Located in La Fortaleza de San Carlos, a colonial-era fortress, the museum features two rooms: one dedicated to the history of Venezuela, from its pre-Columbian aboriginal past up to Chávez’s Bolivarian Revolution, and the other focusing on the life and legacy of the late president, showcasing photos and personal objects such as a military uniform and shoes.

The Associated Press notes that the inauguration comes on the last day of this year’s CELAC Summit in Havana. CELAC, or the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, is a regional bloc of 32 American countries -- excluding the United States, Canada, and overseas European territories -- whose formation was spearheaded by Chávez as an alternative to the Organization of American States (OAS), which includes the United States and was long seen by Latin American leaders as being dominated by US interests.

The presidents of Bolivia, Uruguay and Colombia were on hand at the inauguration, where current Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Cuban President Raúl Castro spoke about the legacy of a man whom Maduro called “the greatest Bolivarian.” “His footprints are still fresh,” Maduro said. “His memory too. His voice still booms in the countryside, in the towns, in the cities of our America.”