In Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, one of the old legends of boxing and sport in the South American country has died. Francisco 'Morochito' Rodríguez died at the age of 78 due to health complications.

With the surname Brito, like the father who abandoned him, he never used his paternal surname since he began boxing at the age of 11 in the mid-1950s, making his entire glorious career under the nickname 'Morochito' Rodriguez while selling fish on the coast.

Despite being illiterate, he had a brilliant career, becoming Pan American flyweight champion in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1967 and competing in the 48kg division in Mexico in October 1968.

Born in Cumaná, on the east coast of Venezuela, the 'morocho' became a legend of Venezuelan sport after winning gold at Mexico 1968, defeating Jee Young-Yu in the final on 26 October 1968 at the Arena México, for which he was given an honourable send-off.

The image of him weeping with emotion after victory, his face covered by a Venezuelan flag, is an icon in a country famous for its oil and beautiful Caribbean beaches.

A minute's applause opened an event in his honour on Wednesday at the headquarters of the National Institute of Sports (IND), where members of the Venezuelan boxing team such as Olympic medallist Yoel Finol paid their respects.

Rodriguez, who never turned to professional boxing, won another Pan American gold medal in the flyweight division in neighbouring Colombia in Cali in 1971.

Only three athletes from this country to the north of South America have stood on the Olympic podium: taekwondo athlete Arlindo Gouveia at Barcelona 1992, fencer Rubén Limardo at London 2012 and athlete Yulimar Rojas at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.

"We feel deep sadness and pain because we are losing one of the glories of our sport," said Yoel Segundo Finol Rivas, a silver medallist at Rio-2016. "He was an exemplary person for us athletes, an example of struggle (...), an inspiration for all of us who came after him."

"To say you were an inspiration is little compared to the legacy you built with your fists and your strength. Thank you for everything, Morochito. Rest in peace, eternal champion," said X Limardo, individual sabre gold medallist at London 2012 and competitor at his fifth Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.

"You will always be remembered," said Daniel Dhers, who won silver in BMX at Tokyo-2020.

"The great Francisco 'Morochito' Rodríguez, the glory of national sport, a boxing legend and our first (Olympic) gold medallist, has left this earthly plane," said President Nicolás Maduro. "Honour and eternal glory to those for whom he is and will continue to be an inspiration for new generations".