Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos said Thursday that ending the country’s armed conflict would be the best possible tribute to the memory of his Venezuela counterpart Hugo Chavez who had passed away earlier that day.
MORE: Colombia: Death of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez ‘profoundly sad’
“I mourn the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias. Our sincere condolences,” Santos said on both his website and Twitter.
Lamento profundamente la muerte del presidente de Venezuela Hugo Chávez Frías. Nuestras sinceras condolencias… twiffo.com/1JJy
— Juan Manuel Santos (@JuanManSantos) March 5, 2013
On the presidential website, Santos said, “The best tribute we can pay to the memory of Hugo Chavez is to fulfill that dream he shared with us of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and a peaceful Colombia.”
According to the Colombian head of State, the death of Chavez means a great loss for his country and the region.
“For Colombia, and for me in particular, the passing of President Chavez has a special meaning,” he said.
In November, under the leadership of Chavez, the Venezuelan government began formally accompanying the peace process between the Colombian government and the country’s largest rebel group FARC with who the Venezuelan leader was ideologically aligned.