CALCASIEU PARISH, Louisiana (NBC News Channel) -- Some Louisianans are upset after an American flag at a CITGO facility in the Lake Charles area was flown at half staff after the death of Venezuela President Hugo Chavez Tuesday.
The refinery is actually owned by the Venezuelan government. According to the U.S. Code Title 4, in the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half staff according to presidential instructions or orders.
CITGO released the following statement on the death of Chavez on Tuesday.
"President Hugo Chavez of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela leaves behind a legacy of support for the underprivileged and promotion of social justice that transcends geographical boundaries. We at CITGO Petroleum Corporation are deeply saddened by the news of his passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the people of Venezuela in this time of grief."
Chavez was best known in the U.S. for implementing a wide-range of socialist reforms in his country and for his hostility toward the foreign affairs of the U.S. At one point, he publicly referred to former president George W. Bush as "el diablo," or "the devil."
