CARACAS, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Antonio Benavides, the commander of Venezuela's Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), on Sunday dismissed the reported abuse by soldiers during political protests against President Nicolas Maduro as "isolated events."
In an interview with private TV channel, Televen, Benavides said such actions were "isolated events which do not represent the feeling or the thought" of the GNB.
The opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), which has led anti-government protests since early April, has repeatedly denounced soldiers for excessive use of force.
According to Benavides, Venezuela has seen "a hostile and violent attitude" from the opposition for two months, accusing them of "hiring and paying" minors to spread violence.
The commander said that 12,500 soldiers had been deployed onto the streets to keep the peace.
He added that since the start of protests, 45 GNB members had been injured by gunshots and 252 others had been beaten.
According to government data, at least 74 people have died during the protests in the last three months.
