Venezuela sends troops to western region to stop looting amid protests

The Venezuelan government has announced that it is deploying soldiers to the country’s western region following a night of looting during anti-government protests.

According to Press TV, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez during a televised announcement on Wednesday said "I have ordered the transfer of 2,000 guards and 600 special operations troops" to San Cristobal, the Capital of Tachira State.

Protesters began attacking security installations and looting stores on Tuesday night in the border town with Colombia. A 15-year-old boy was also killed by gunfire during a spate of looting.

The state prosecutor's office has confirmed that Jose Francisco Guerrero was killed on Wednesday.

The youth’s death brings the toll to 43 since the unrest escalated in the country last month.

The latest wave of unrest initially erupted in early April, when the government-allied Supreme Court stripped the opposition-controlled parliament of its powers. Although the decision was later revoked, protests continued and even strengthened.

Protesters are angry about shortages of food and medicine and a soaring inflation, blaming Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The government, however, says the protests are incited by the Unites Stated to remove the president from power.

Both the government and the opposition have also traded accusations of hiring armed groups to target one another.

ME