MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Unasur members declare three days of national mourning

Moreno also pointed out that Mr Kirchner’s mother was Chilean

The Chilean government announced three days of national mourning to honour former Argentine president Nestor Kirchner who died of a massive stroke Wednesday morning at his home in El Calafate, Patagonia.

“The government has decreed three days of national mourning as the rest of Unasur members (Union of South American Nations)” said Foreign Affairs minister Alfredo Moreno. The decree becomes effective Thursday.

That same day President Sebastian Piñera will be flying to Buenos Aires for the wake ceremony at Government House. Mr Piñera will be travelling with the First Lady Cecilia Morel and the speakers of the Senate and Lower House, Jorge Pizarro and Alejandra Sepúlveda, besides Moreno.

“Nestor Kirchner was not only President of Argentina, Secretary General of Unasur: he was also the son of a Chilean mother, from Punta Arenas, and we all know that many Chileans have made Argentina their home”, said Moreno.

Both parents of Mr Kirchner worked for the two countries post offices in Punta Arenas and Rio Gallegos and that is how they got to know each other.