VENEZUELA'S FOOD LOOTING VIOLENCE

Four people were killed and 15 injured on Thursday in violence linked to food looting in Venezuela, according to members of the opposition and the local press.

It brought to six the number of deaths tied to desperate food shortages in the oil-rich but crisis driven country since December.

In the town of Arapuey in the west of Venezuela, for several days now looters have targeted shops and stores and clashed with soldiers, said Carlos Paparoni, an opposition law maker.

In the past several days looting and attempted looting has broken out in a number of towns and cities.

A 19-year old Venezuelan was shot dead on Wednesday when hundreds of people looted trucks carrying flour and chicken in the western city of Guanare.

On December 31, a young woman, also aged 19, died after being shot in the head, allegedly by a soldier, while waiting in Caracas to buy items being distributed by the government.