Venezuela: Deal allows body of ex-leader Carlos Andres Perez to return

Thousands of Venezuelans, many in tears, attended a wake and listened to speeches in honour of the former President Carlos Andres Perez. His remains had arrived in his homeland the day before, after a bitter family feud over his final resting place.

Politicians, relatives and supporters of Mr Perez crowded around his coffin at the headquarters of the Democratic Action party in central Caracas yesterday and sang the party's anthem.

The remains of Mr Perez arrived in Venezuela nine months after his death in Miami, at the age of 88, set off a feud between his wife, who wanted to bring the body home, and his mistress in the United States, who said Mr Perez had vowed repeatedly never to return as long as his political nemesis, Hugo Chavez, was President.

The two sides finally reached a confidential agreement to return his body to his homeland.