WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Friday released the following statement on the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro:

"The Venezuelan people decisively elected Edmundo González, and yet it's Nicolas Maduro who was inaugurated today. For months, Maduro has cracked down on his opposition by jailing protestors, forcing others into exile, and yesterday, arresting opposition leader Marina Corina Machado. The United States must stand with the people of Venezuela in their fight for democracy, and I urge the incoming administration to hold the Venezuelan government's feet to the fire," said Murphy.

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