General

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hugs Hugo Chávez’s mom, ignites controversy

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s embrace of Hugo Chávez’s grieving mother created a storm back home.

A photo of the Iranian president hugging Elena Frías de Chávez at the late Venezuelan leader’s funeral was denounced by conservatives in Iran—where it is forbidden for men to touch women. Government officials hilariously claimed that the photo— released by state media in Venezuela, Tehran’s great friend—had been faked.

Iran quickly released a gruesomely photoshopped pic, showing Ahmadinejad embracing Chavez’s “uncle” in place of his mother. Oops: the “uncle’s” picture is that of an Egyptian opposition leader who is much taller than Ahmadinejad.

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