Chavez’s death brings hope of a better future for Venezuela, Harper says

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he hopes the death of President Hugo Chavez brings a more promising future for the Venezuelan people.

“At this key juncture, I hope the people of Venezuela can now build for themselves a better, brighter future based on the principles of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights,” Harper said in a statement Tuesday evening.

The prime minister said he was offering his “condolences to the people of Venezuela,” and that he looked forward “to working with his (Chavez’s) successor and other leaders in the region to build a hemisphere that is more prosperous, secure and democratic.”

Chavez died today at age 58 after fighting cancer for nearly two years.

Chavez led a leftist revival across Latin America that posed a direct challenge to U.S. influence in the region.

Harper himself has in the past pointedly challenged the world view of the influential Venezuelan leader.