Jesse Jackson assesses Chavez

US civil rights leader spoke to Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman after attending Venezuelan leader’s funeral.

Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr, US civil rights leader, attended the funeral of Hugo Chavez, the anti-American Venezuelan leader who died earlier this week.

Jackson, who ran for president twice in the 1980s, recited a prayer, urging God to “heal the breach between the US and Venezuela”.

Despite testy ties with Venezuela, the US was represented by its charge d’affaires and two politicians from President Barack Obama’s Democratic Party.

Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman spoke to Jackson in Caracas.

Source: Al Jazeera