global wars and deal with his problems at home. if and we ve had this question in libya, iraq, other parts of the world, if the government changes in a way that is open to international investment, u.s. oil companies, of course, u.s. energy companies, u.s. businesses, period. the question is, what comes next? i was just talking to our friend alex castellanos on the way out here. does the vice president keep power and keep consistent consistencies? perhaps. but he s not hugo chavez. it become as different dynamic. i think it s clearly someone who was a lightning rod for his supporters and for his global critics has passed from the scene and let s see what happens next. let s get someone else to wave in right now. eva is an attorney and writer in new york, has lived in caracas.
that there will be a free, fair, and credible election in venezuela. they understand, of course, that ma dduro is the front-runner. and they say they re open to what one senior administration official called to me a more constructive relationship with the venezuelan government. they believe it is, quote, counterproductive to be at odds. and that s why this expulsion of these military attaches was not welcome news by the administration, wolf. did they say anything about whether or not the u.s. will send a high-level, mid-level, low-level representative to the expected state funeral of hugo chavez? no, we didn t talk about that. we talked about this, the expulsion of these military attaches they flatly deny that these attaches were an improper activity? and quite honestly, their interpretation of this is that maduro doing this is not a sign of strength, that they ve lost a charismatic leader in chavez, and that they need to sustain
player and as a diplomat he was a great basketball player. i think that this issue is an issue that needs to be dealt with government to government. reporter: and what about kerry s own new role as secretary of state? on almost every question he deferred to the president s views but insisted he s his own man. the president asked me not to come on to be a yes person. he asked me to come on to share my views, my thinking, my years of experience, and i don t think the president appreciates just yes people. reporter: john kerry heads back to washington on wednesday. he will brief the president on his trip and also on meetings that he had with more than 40 international leaders. wolf? jill dougherty, thanks very much. still ahead, much more on the breaking news we ve been following. the venezuelan president hugo chavez is dead.
is mourning but there also is opportunity when you get all of these leaders together. the administration that has to make that calculation. as they do so, wolf, remember, hugo chavez was one of the great m meddlers. run as fabulous organization called citizens oil that gives low-income people free or or here in the united states. in the new england states, home heating oil. one of his major supplierses with hugo chavez. joe kennedy was often criticized about that. and chavez knew how to play that. he was one of the great characters on the world stage and he knew how to get right in to our politics who advance his own. i want to play the clip.
this is one of the most famous clips of hugo chavez who passed away at the united nations and speaking of the then president george w. bush. translator: the devil came here yesterday. yesterday, the devil came here. right here. right here. and it smells of sulfur still today. the table that i m now standing in front of, yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this the president of the united states, the gentleman to whom i refer as to the devil came here. richard roth was there that day back in 2006 when hugo chavez was addressing the united nations general assembly.