Caracas, October 2 (Xinhua-RHC) -- A Venezuelan lawmaker of the ruling United Socialist Party was murdered Wednesday evening along with his wife, said Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres.

Robert Serra's body was found on the second floor of his home in a western Caracas suburb while his wife's body was on the first floor of the residence, Torres told a state-run TV. Serra, who was 28 years old, was the youngest lawmaker in the country. He was known for his combative defense of late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.

The minister urged calm after the murder, saying that an investigation was underway. "We don't want to speculate yet on the cause of this homicide until we advance on the investigations. We have a specialized team on the field to find the murderers of Serra and his wife," he said.

"A deep pain overcomes us with the murder of Robert Serra," President Nicolas Maduro said through his Twitter account.