Last Years and Death
On 2 February 1999, Rafael Caldera concluded his second term as president, and was succeeded by Hugo Chávez. Although Caldera granted Chávez amnesty and released him from prison (in March 1994), the new president did not exclude him from criticism in his inaugural speech. After the parliamentary elections of 30 July 2000, National Convergence remained with a single representative in the new unicameral National Assembly until 2005.
His poor health caused by Parkinson's disease forced him to retire from politics during his last years. Caldera died around 2 a.m. on 24 December 2009 at the age of 93. His son Andrés Caldera announced the death, but did not specify a cause. His funeral was on 26 December 2009, in Caracas. He was buried the same day.
Read more about this topic: Rafael Caldera
Famous quotes containing the words years and/or death:
“But he answered his father, Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’”
—Bible: New Testament, Luke 15:29,30.
“There is a rhythm to the ending of a marriage just like the rhythm of a courtship—only backward. You try to start again but get into blaming over and over. Finally you are both worn out, exhausted, hopeless. Then lawyers are called in to pick clean the corpses. The death has occurred much earlier.”
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