Americas

Home page

Americas

Venezuela opens Bolivar’s tomb to examine remains

17 July 2010 08:08 (UTC +04:00)

Chavez announced the exhumation of Bolivar’s remains Friday and displayed the intact skeleton briefly on national television, saying he wept when he saw the bones of the inspiration for his Bolivarian Revolution.

While historians have generally concluded that Bolivar died of tuberculosis in 1830, Chavez has another theory - that Bolivar was murdered - even though he acknowledges it may not be possible to prove.

Chavez opened Bolivar’s tomb unannounced, spreading the news on Twitter shortly after midnight Thursday: "What impressive moments we have lived tonight!! We have seen the remains of the Great Bolivar!"

According to traditional accounts, Bolivar spent his last days bedridden and died at 47 of tuberculosis at an estate in modern-day Colombia.

More than 50 specialists have been involved, Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz said.