Mural of Hugo Chavez causes controversy

Residents are debating Thursday about a mural of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Artist Andre Trenier took two days to paint the image on Garrison Avenue. Local artists say the painting represents

News 12 Staff

Sep 23, 2016, 2:39 AM

Updated 2,942 days ago

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Residents are debating Thursday about a mural of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Artist Andre Trenier took two days to paint the image on Garrison Avenue. Local artists say the painting represents Chavez's visit to Hunts Point in 2005 and his acknowledgement of the poor. However, some residents say the image is not appropriate due to the current conditions in the country. 
"People are starving to death right now in Venezuela, dying of cancer and HIV because they have no medicine," says one Bronx resident.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan Prime Minister Delcy Rodriguez visited the South Bronx Community Garden. In an effort to combat hunger, the Venezuelan government has created urban gardens in the area.
"Commander Chavez has a special feeling for this community, for this neighborhood," Rodriguez says. "We have a program for heating oil for the South Bronx, this experience relates to us, our thinking, so we are here.