Tributes flooded in from leaders of Latin American nations shortly after Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced the death of President Hugo Chavez on Tuesday

In his message of condolences to the government and people of Venezuela, Peruvian President Ollanta Humala expressed "deep sorrow" to his "sister nation of Venezuela" and Chavez's family.

"We want to give them a big hug and our Bolivarian, South American and Latin American solidarity," he said.

During his lifetime, Chavez often cited Simon Bolivar, the 19th-century Venezuelan-born independence hero for Latin America, as his personal inspiration.

Aware of the political tension in Venezuela between Chavez supporters and opponents, Humala also urged "unity" and "reflection," saying "things must be carried out in a peaceful way."

Peru's Congress observed a minute of silence for the decease of the Venezuelan leader, who returned home on Feb. 18 after receiving medical treatment for 70 days in Cuba.

Mourning Chavez's death, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez decreed three days of mourning and ordered flags to be flown at half mast.

Clearing all her agenda for the rest of the week, Fernandez announced she will be traveling to Caracas for the funeral.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto expressed his condolences via Twitter.

"I am sorry for the passing of President Hugo Chavez. My sincerest Condolences to his family and the Venezuelan people," said the Mexican president on his official Twitter account.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff described Chavez as a "great Latin American" and "friend of Brazil," whose death leaves a void in the region.

"We recognize (in Chavez) a great leader, an irreparable loss and, above all, a friend of Brazil," Rousseff said before calling for a minute of silence at an official event with rural leaders.

Bolivian President Evo Morales, a close personal friend and ideological ally of Chavez's, decided to travel to Caracas Tuesday night to attend the funeral, Communication Minister Amanda Davila said.

At a press conference later, Morales expressed his condolences not just to the Venezuelan people, but "to the whole world."

In Colombia, conservative President Juan Manuel Santos said that despite their ideological differences, Chavez's death represented a great loss for the region.

Santos said he would accompany Chavez's family and the nation in their sorrow "as you accompanied us," referring to Venezuela's role in "accompanying" ongoing peace talks between the Colombian government and leftist FARC guerrillas.

In Costa Rica, President Laura Chinchilla expressed her nation's "solidarity" with Venezuela and the Chavez family.

In Ecuador, another close regional ally, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Chavez was not only the president of Venezuela, but the "leader of a historic process of change" in Latin America.

"The close brotherhood between our two countries and the legacy that the life of this memorable revolutionary leaves behind will continue to strengthen the ties between the two nations and the integration of Latin America," it said.

"Ecuador experiences this loss as its own and augurs the best successes for the future of Venezuela, with the conviction that it will know how to preserve and exalt its history, revolution, development, brotherhood and solidarity," the statement added.

In Nicaragua, the government called for a public tribute at one of the main plazas in capital Managua.

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