Chile bids final farewell to former President Pinera in state funeral
Al Jazeera
Sebastian Pinera died on Tuesday in a helicopter crash in southern Chile.
A state funeral for Chile’s former President Sebastian Pinera who died after the helicopter he was piloting crashed into a lake, is taking place in the capital Santiago.
“Today, we share the shock of the tragic departure of a man, a father, husband, grandfather and public figure that was a leader in our transition to democracy,” President Gabriel Boric said during the ceremony at the country’s former Congress on Friday.
Pinera, 74, died on Tuesday and state funeral services began on Wednesday in the capital with a private viewing before opening up to the public.
On Friday, a military band in red conical hats played as Pinera’s coffin, draped in the Chilean flag, was escorted to a cathedral in Santiago by guards on horseback for his funeral mass.
He will later be buried in a private family ceremony attended by his widow, four children and grandchildren.
