Five more agents from Bolivarian National Intelligence Service held on suspicion of shooting two protesters in Caracas clashes

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Five more members of a Venezuelan national intelligence agency have been arrested on murder charges related to the shooting of two people during anti-government protests.

The five agents of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (BNIS) were present at street clashes in Caracas on 12 February in which 24-year-old university student Bassil Da Costa and government supporter Juan Montoya died, chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega said in a statement on Wednesday. They were among the first of at least 16 killed during recent protests.

On Monday Ortega said three other BNIS agents had been arrested on similar charges. Senior government officials initially blamed protesters for the deaths.

The protests over economic problems began with students, but they were soon joined by tens of thousands of others in several cities, upset at the heavy-handed government response.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's foreign minister is visiting nations in the region to lobby for the dispute to be taken up by the Union of South American Nations, instead of the Organization of American States. Venezuelan leaders contend the OAS is dominated by Washington.

"Venezuela does not agree that this issue should be taken to the Organization of American States," Elias Jaua said after a meeting with the Bolivian president Evo Morales in La Paz.

Jaua is also planning to visit Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, all of which have leftist or left-leaning governments, and Paraguay.

Panama had proposed a special meeting of the Washington-based OAS to discuss Venezuela's situation.