CARACAS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's prosecutor-general confirmed on Saturday that three more people died during anti-government protests on Friday in the western state of Lara.
In a statement, it announced the deaths of Fernando Rojas (49), Jose Gregorio Mendoza (44) and Ramses Martinez (20), bringing the total number of deaths since protests broke out in April to 85.
On Friday, the prosecutor-general also announced the death of Ruben Morillo, who was shot dead in Barquisimeto, the capital of Lara. A national guard officer and another civilian were also injured.
Opposition protests led by the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) began more than three months ago in Venezuela, moved by demands for early general elections and an ending to a government plan to rewrite the country's constitution.
The MUD has denounced the authorities' "brutal repression" of protests, pointing to excessive force by the police and army, which has killed and wounded protesters.
On Friday, a group of 20 students was allegedly arrested by the police in Caracas and kept locked up in an unmarked vehicle without ventilation.
However, the government of President Nicolas Maduro has accused the MUD of promoting violence by hiring violent gangs to commit crimes and destabilize the country.
