Colombia’s late president Belisario Betancur was buried on Sunday after an extensive ceremony in his honor.
Betancur, who led the country between 1982 and 1986, was laid to rest at the “Gardens of Remembrance” (Jardines del Recuerdo) cemetery in the capital Bogota, in accordance with his wishes.
Following his death at 95 on Friday, multiple of the country’s leading personalities paid their honors to the president who ruled over the country during one of Colombia’s most difficult periods.
On Saturday, President Ivan Duque, former President Juan Manuel Santos and other prominent public figures gathered at the Colombian Academy of Language (Academia Colombiana de la Lengua) to pay tribute and say goodbye to the late president.
Flags through out Colombia were lowered to half mast on Saturday after the government declared three days of mourning.
On Sunday, the remains of Betancur were driven from the Academy to the cemetery while citizens paid their respects for their former president’s final ride.
The former president was buried in the presence of friends and family while Colombians from all walks of life expressed their mourning for the loss of the conservative former president.
