Chairman Robert Menendez on the Death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez

The following was published by the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on March 5, 2013. It is reproduced in full below.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the death of Hugo Chavez:

“Hugo Chavez ruled Venezuela with an iron hand and his passing has left a political void that we hope will be filled peacefully and through a constitutional and democratic process, grounded in the Venezuelan constitution and adhering to the Inter-American Democratic Charter. With free and fair elections, Venezuela can begin to restore its once robust democracy and ensure respect for the human, political and civil rights of its people."

Source: United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations