President Nicolas Maduro, who on Monday celebrated what would have been the 60th birthday of the late President Hugo Chavez (1999-2013), said a little bird told him that the former president is "happy and full of love." "Let me tell you that a little bird came to me, it approached me again and said (...) that the commander (Chavez) was happy and loving the loyalty of his people," said Maduro during a speech in Sabaneta, where the former President and revolutionary was born. 

Nicolas Maduro has apparently been visited by Chavez in bird form before: in April 2013, during the campaign for the presidential election which he won, he revealed that Chavez had appeared to him as  a bird," sparking a wave of criticism and teasing. The President attended various events where he alluded to Chavez. His day ended around midnight with a tribute attended by presidents and chancellors of various Latin American and Caribbean nations, who on Tuesday attended the Mercosur summit.