Colombians and fans of Gabriel Garcia Marquez have been paying final respects to the 87-year-old Nobel laureate who passed away Thursday. Marquez, considered one of the greatest Spanish-language writers, was born in the northern town of Aracataca. His childhood home, which is now a museum, has drawn flocks of visitors. The novelist lived with his grandparents in this property until the age of eight. In Colombia's capital, Bogota, crowds have gravitated toward a mural in honour of "Gabo," as Marquez was affectionately known. People say Marquez is a symbol of pride for Colombians.
Lorena Caceres, visitor at Marquez's childhood home, said, "If Colombia has a name in history, culture and literature, it is thanks to Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I think that he represents a part of every Colombian."
Tufith Hatum Arias, Mayor of Aracataca, said, "I received the news of Garcia Marquez's death with sadness, with a lot of pain because he was a brother to us . He was a person who was born here and spent his childhood here and has many friends here still within the community."
