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Argentine ex-President Nestor Kirchner’s remains flown to hometown

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Argentines lined the rainy streets of Buenos Aires on Friday to honor former President Nestor Kirchner as the black hearse carrying his remains made its way through the city.

The funeral procession traveled to Jorge Newbery airport, where an honor guard loaded Kirchner’s coffin onto a military plane headed for his hometown of Rio Gallegos in the southern province of Santa Cruz, where a funeral is planned. Kirchner, 60, died of a heart attack Wednesday.

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Thousands of people mourned Kirchner at his wake during the last two days, and crowds gathered at Plaza de Mayo outside the presidential palace. Kirchner’s widow is President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Kirchner was president of Argentina from 2003 to 2007. He was a sitting congressman and leader of his wife’s Justicialist party when he died.

Hundreds of supporters had reportedly gathered at the municipal cemetery in Rio Gallegos to await Kirchner’s remains and pay their respects.

-- Andres C. D’Alessandro in Buenos Aires

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