Summary UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon led tributes y to the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon led tributes Wednesday to the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday, calling him a leader who made a difference in the world.
Diplomats observed a moment of silent at a U.N. General Assembly meeting before the tributes by Ban, General Assembly President Vuk Jeremic, representatives of all regional groups, and Venezuela s foreign minister.
Chavez, who died of cancer on March 5 at the age of 58, was beloved among many poor Venezuelans for the myriad of social programs he enacted using his country s oil wealth. Critics accused him of eroding Venezuela s democracy by accumulating power into his own hands and intimidating opponents.
Ban praised Chavez s "sense of solidarity with the most vulnerable and his commitment to improve the life of the most underprivileged."
"Perhaps President Chavez will be best remembered for his ability to connect at a human level with the most vulnerable and give voice to their aspirations," he said.
Ban said that perhaps Chavez most notable achievement was his assistance to Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010. He also cited Chavez contribution to peace talks between the government and rebels in Colombia.
Chavez first spoke at the General Assembly in 1999, soon after he came to power, and the secretary-general recalled his wish that one day in the near future it would be possible "to proclaim that peace, democracy and development have triumphed."
"Let us honor the legacy of president Chavez by renewing our pledge to work toward these noble goals," Ban said.
Jeremic said history will remember the charismatic Chavez for his policies that lowered Venezuela s poverty levels.
