Venezuela's Protester Shot Dead by National Guards after Hurling Feces at Them

Young Venezuelan protesters lobbed bottles and bags of feces at soldiers who fought with tear gas on Wednesday to block the latest march in more than a month of nationwide protests against socialist President Nicolas Maduro.



The extraordinary scenes, in what was dubbed the "Shit March" on the main highway through Caracas, came as thousands of opposition supporters again poured onto the streets decrying Venezuela's economic crisis and demanding elections.




"These kids live in a dictatorship, they have no other option but to protest however they see fit," said Maria Montilla, 49, behind lines of youths with masks, slingshots and makeshift wooden shields.



Many carried stones and so-called "Poopootov cocktails" - feces stuffed into small glass bottles - which they threw when National Guard troops blocked their path, firing gas and turning water cannons on the crowds.



"There's nothing explosive here. It's our way of saying 'get lost Maduro, you're useless!'," said one young protester, who asked not to be named, between tossing bottles of feces.



Wednesday's chaos in Caracas claimed another life, with 27-year-old Miguel Castillo killed during the protests, the state prosecutor's office said, without giving more details.



With trouble flaring in various parts of Venezuela, there was also another death in the Andean city of Merida. Motorbike taxi driver Anderson Dugarte, 32, died on Wednesday after being injured in a protest, the state prosecutor's office said.



Local media said he was shot in the head.