Several Latin American countries have declared days of national mourning in honor of the passing of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church’s first Latin American pontiff.
- Cuba has declared a state of mourning from tomorrow morning to Thursday at noon, during which the national flag will be flown at half-staff, according to the communist-party daily Granma. Francis played a major role in helping to renew diplomatic relations between Cuba and the US in 2014, making personal pleas to then-President Barack Obama and Cuban leaders and hosting both sides for talks at the Vatican.
- Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro declared a three-day mourning period, according to an official government bulletin that referred to Francis as a “friend of the Venezuelan people who represented the greatest values of humanity.”
- Panama and Costa Rica have also declared days of national mourning.
- Argentina, Francis’ home country, declared seven days of mourning.