On March 7, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro said the body of Hugo Chavez will be kept on permanent display “in a special tomb.”
When he made the announcement, people had already been waiting “up to 12 hours in a line that [snaked] for more than a mile,” to pay their respects to the dead leader.
Maduro said that by displaying Chavez’s body in a manner reminiscent of Vladimir Lenin, he can guarantee that Chavez “will always be with the people.”
The Venezuelan Parliament will hold a special session to swear Maduro in as acting president on March 8.
Elections to officially fill the vacancy left by Chavez will be held in approximately 30 days.