President Laura Chinchilla in Venezuela for Chavez funeral

President Laura Chinchilla (archive photo)

March 8^th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla arrived at dawn this morning in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, to participate in a day long funeral for the country’s deceased president, Hugo Chavez.

Chinchilla landed in Caracas at 2am local time (12:30am in Costa Rica), accompanied by her Minister of Communication, Francisco Chacon.

Chinchilla joins more than 30 heads of state that will attend the funeral, whose start time is uncertain.  Diplomats were only told that the funeral would last many hours, and would also include the swearing-in of Vice President, Nicolas Maduro, as the country’s leader until elections can be held.

President Chinchilla had said earlier in the week that she would not be attended the funeral, but apparently changed her mind yesterday.

The first leaders to arrive in Venezuela after the death of Chavez were Evo Morales of Bolivia, Cristina Fernandez of Argentina and Pepe Mujica of Uruguay.

Many of Chavez’s allies will also attend, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Raul Castro of Cuba and Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega.