The president, Nicolás Maduro, awarded postmortem the Order of the Liberators and Liberators of Venezuela in its first class, to professor Aristóbulo Istúriz. | Photo: @PresidencialVen
Caracas, April 29 (RHC)-- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro expressed this Wednesday during the posthumous tribute ceremony to Education Minister Aristóbulo Istúriz, held at the Federal Legislative Palace, that his passing "is a great blow for the people of Venezuela."
"We are in a very painful moment. The physical departure of Professor Aristóbulo Istúriz is a great blow for the people of Venezuela. The most humble people today mourn Professor Aristobulo in all the schools of the country," said the president before relatives and Venezuelan authorities present at the ceremony.
"We saw the humble people of the schools and high schools crying for their minister, for their teacher Aristóbulo, and when the humblest, the humble, the simple ones are able to feel that one of their own is gone, it is the most beautiful feeling we can get from human solidarity," he added.
During his speech, broadcast on national television, the head of state recounted the political career of Aristóbulo Istúriz, highlighting the most important moments as a popular leader, trade unionist and revolutionary committed to the Bolivarian Revolution.
"Because Aristóbulo's trajectory was extraordinary, impeccable, as a popular leader, as a grassroots militant, as a fighter for the cause of the teachers, as a revolutionary fighter for a different homeland, a new homeland," said President Nicolas Maduro.
The national president emphasized that Aristóbulo Istúriz was a man of great political thought. "Many underestimated him for being of the people, for being a humble teacher, but he was a man of great thought," he said.
The Venezuelan president highlighted that Aristóbulo Istúriz was Commander Hugo Chávez's Minister of Education, a position he held for six years and from where he promoted the literacy campaign called "Robinson Mission" which succeeded in eradicating illiteracy in Venezuela.
"His absolute loyalty, his disposition, his discipline, his work capacity, his courage and his deep love for the Venezuelan homeland. That is Aristobulo, without a doubt, one of the best, one of the greats, one of the giants.... The Black Aristobulo," he said.
Prior to his heartfelt words, President Nicolás Maduro awarded postmortem the first class of the Order of the Liberators and Liberators of Venezuela to Professor Aristóbulo Istúriz, who served as sectoral vice-president of Territorial Socialism and Minister of Education.
The highest distinction was received in the Elliptical Hall of the National Assembly, by the teacher's wife, Dyanora Martínez, and daughter, Rosiris José Istúriz Martínez, after rendering the corresponding honors in the mortuary chapel.
