teleSUR – Political, religious, and social leaders, as well as former dignitaries from different parts of the planet, expressed their sorrow for the death of the Argentinean idol.
There is no doubt that the death of Diego Armando Maradona has left no one indifferent. Many personalities worldwide have expressed their grief after learning of the end of the former Argentine football player. The world of politics has been no exception, with various comments reminding us of the importance of number “10”, some even mentioning his well-known political views.
A great friend of Cuba and Venezuela, Maradona left this world on the day that marks the fourth anniversary of the death of his friend and political legend of the second half of the 20th century, Fidel Castro. For Maradona, Castro was “a second father.”
Maradona’s football career is a prominent part of his legacy. But his political views were as big a part of life as anything else. He was well-known for supporting leftist politicians in Latin America. He was reportedly fascinated by Venezuela’s Bolivarian revolution. He visited the country several times, where he met Evo Morales and Lula da Silva. He also traveled several times to Cuba, where he underwent treatment to shake up a drug addiction and became close friends with Fidel Castro with whom he met several times.
One of the first to speak after his passing was the Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro -a friend of Maradona-, who wrote in his Twitter account: “Much sadness has left us the departure of the legend of football, a brother and unconditional friend of Venezuela. Dear and irreverent “Pelusa”, you will always be in my heart and in my thoughts. I have no words at this moment to express what I feel. So long Pibe de America!”.
Alberto Fernandez, president of Argentina, declared himself “desolate” for the death of Diego Maradona and decreed three days of national mourning.
Another political figure close to the deceased sports legend was former Bolivian President Evo Morales, who described the former trans-Andean national team player as “a person who felt and fought for the humble, the best football player in the world.” “Diego was a great defender of football in the highlands, and he loved Bolivia very much. He was a great friend of just causes. Not only the world’s football mourns him, but also the people of the world,” he added.
Also from Bolivia, the current President of that country, Luis Arce, expressed via Twitter that “we deeply regret the sad passing of the great 10 of football and Latin American brother Diego Armando Maradona. The world mourns his irreparable loss—our condolences to his loved ones and the entire football family.
“We are losing another giant, an exalted militant of the revolutions of love,” reacted on its part the Government of Nicaragua. In a letter signed by President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, the Central American country expressed that “all of us who have deeply admired the irreverent Diego, have been moved by this fatal news, but we understand that we belong to the always and the beyond and that our works, our steps, the paths we have traveled, in brilliant celebration of life on this planet, are light and truth for those who love us, value us, and recognize, as we all recognize, love and value Diego, the great, the universal.”
Meanwhile, from Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wrote that “Diego Armando Maradona was a giant of football, of Argentina and the whole world, a unique talent, and personality,” and added that “his genius and passion in the field, his intensity in life and his commitment to Latin American sovereignty marked our era.” “On the field, he was one of the greatest adversaries, perhaps the greatest, that the Brazilian team faced. Outside of the sporting rivalry, he was a great friend of Brazil. I can only thank him for all his solidarity with popular causes and with the Brazilian people. Maradona will never be forgotten”, he added.
Similarly, former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff called the death of the Argentinean star “a great loss for all football lovers.” However, she remarked that “Maradona deserves to be admired for his defense of the rights of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, of sovereignty, democracy, and social justice.”
Not only Latin America has expressed itself through the death of Diego Maradona. From Italy – the country where the former football player shone defending the Naples shirt – Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte indicated that “the entire world is in mourning for Maradona’s death, who with his unparalleled talent wrote unforgettable pages in the history of football. Goodbye eternal champion”. His predecessor, Matteo Renzi, also expressed himself through social networks: “Diego Armando Maradona. Today there are no words, only sadness. Rest in peace, eternal 10”.
Meanwhile, from Spain, President Pedro Sanchez expressed “all my love for the world of football, which today loses one of its legends. He leaves us one of the best players in history, the Argentinean Diego Armando Maradona”. “With your left foot, you drew the dreams of several generations. Eternal, kid”, he added.
In Germany, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas, said that “Argentina and the whole world have lost a football genius. Maradona was the hand and often also the foot of God”.
From Vatican City, Matteo Bruni, a spokesman for the Holy See, said: “The pope was informed about the death of Diego Maradona, he recalled the times he met him in these past years with affection, and he is remembering him in his prayers, as he did in the past days when he was informed about his condition.”
