Costa Rica Sends Condolences to Argentina

President Laura Chinchilla sent her condolences to her colleague, Argentine President Cristina Fernández, whose husband died of a heart attack Wednesday.

Néstor Kirchner, who preceded his wife in office, serving as Argentina’s president from 2003-2007, was at his country home in El Calafate when he was taken to the hospital.

Thousands of people converged at the Casa Rosada, the government’s headquarters, to bid farewell to the former president Thursday morning. Many South American Heads of States have traveled or are en route to Argentina.

Chinchilla, who has no immediate plans to travel to Argentina, said in a statement released Wednesday, “Costa Rica joins in the feelings of pain that touch the people of Argentina, South America and all of the continent.

“In the name of the people and the government of Costa Rica, we extend our respectful condolences to the people of the government of the Republic of Argentina as well as the family of the former president,”

Chinchilla scheduled a visit to the Argentine Embassy in San José at 3 p.m. Thursday.