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Former Colombian President Belisario Betancur, who died on Friday at the age of 95, was sacked today in Bogota during an intimate ceremony during which he received military honors. , in the presence of President Iván Duque and his cabinet.
Until the modern gymnasium, the funeral venue, the presidential guard battalion arrived, which earned him honors corresponding to his dignity, a ceremony to which only relatives, friends and authorities agreed and to which the press was not allowed to enter.
"I want to express with all my heart that I regret the departure of the former President of the Republic and great friend Belisario Betancur Cuartas, who led a life marked by a lot of patriotism, devotion to Colombia, support for culture and who has work, humility and personal progress, "said Duque in a statement issued by his office.
In another message posted on Twitter, Duque described Betancur as "a great Colombian" and stressed that his legacy in politics, in the country's history and in culture "is an example for all future generations ".
After the religious service in the Chapel of the Holy Apostles, a funeral car drove the coffin to the Jardines del Recuerdo cemetery north of Bogotá.
In the wake of the Colombian Academy of Language, where Betancur was an honorary scholar, was attending today the Colombian public prosecutor, Néstor Humberto Martínez, who emphasized the familiarity ties with the former president during funeral of his father. , comedian, actor and director Humberto Martínez Salcedo.
"The friendship he had with my father, Humberto Martínez Salcedo, and his presence at his funeral, we bring today a testimony of gratitude and solidarity to the family," said Martínez .
Former employees of Casa de Nariño, headquarters of the executive, who worked with Betancur when he was president, between 1982 and 1986, and whose simplicity and familiar treatment with them were also present .
Some showed photos with Betancur, born February 4, 1923 in Amagá, a mining municipality located in the department of Antioquia (north-west).
At the same time, Conservative Party President Hernán Andrade expressed "deep nostalgia" and highlighted Betancur's fight for peace, education and culture.
He stressed that the former president wanted "to evade the whole issue of protocol" and that he "wanted to go with the humility he lived in. Zero protocol, always humility of his training so that he will remember him ".
Former presidents, César Gaviria (1990-1994) and Juan Manuel Santos (2010-2018), as well as former ministers such as Mauricio Cárdenas and Juan Camilo Restrepo, both from the conservative Betancur party, also attended funeral. Bogotá, Enrique Peñalosa, among other personalities of politics.
The King of Spain, Felipe VI, today called on President Duque to convey his condolences on the occasion of the death of the exmandatario.
Betancur, very close to Spain, which granted him this nationality, was awarded the Prince of Asturian Cooperation for International Cooperation Award in 1983 in recognition of his participation in the Contadora group for peace in Central America.
Even today, the Guatemalan Government has lamented the death of Betancur, whom he remembered as a man of letters who had opened the "road to peace".
"The former president Betancur, a man of letters, will be remembered for his human qualities, his humility and especially to pave the way for peace," said the Foreign Ministry of Guatemala in a statement.
The former Colombian head of state has also been awarded in Spain with the Menéndez Pelayo International Prize (2007) and the Isabel La Católica Order Necklace and the Carlos III Great Necklace.
The Colombian government yesterday decreed three days of national mourning to honor Betancur's memory, implying that the national flag is flown at half mast in all public buildings of the country and Colombian embbadies abroad.
The death of Betancur was greatly deplored, not only because he was the first president to attempt to conclude a peace agreement with the guerrilla groups, but also because, contrary to what usually happens, he He retired from politics at the end of his tenure to devote himself to literature and the media. in intellectual activities.
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