Venezuela puts down mutiny by soldiers

Venezuela has detained a national guard unit that seized arms and a military outpost, and called on social media for the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro.

Anti-government protesters clash with security forces in Cotiza

Protesters clashed with Venezuelan security forces who ended a mutiny by a national guard unit. (AAP)

Venezuela's government says it has put down a mutiny by a National Guard unit in a poor neighbourhood a few kilometres from Venezuela's presidential palace.

The uprising triggered protests in the same neighbourhood that were dispersed with tear gas.

The armed forces in a statement on Monday said it had captured all those involved in what it described as "treasonous" acts motivated by "obscure interests tied to the far right".

It said around 2.50am local time on Monday, a small group of guardsmen took captive a captain in charge of a police station in western Caracas and then moved across the capital in two military trucks to the poor neighbourhood of Petare, where they stole a cache of weapons from another outpost.

They met resistance and were caught hours later at a national guard outpost 3km from the Miraflores presidential palace.

The armed forces said all the weapons had been recovered and the mutinous troops captured.

A few hours earlier, a group of heavily armed national guardsmen published a series of videos on social media saying they won't recognise President Nicolas Maduro's government.

In one of the videos, a man identifying himself as 3rd Sgt Figueroa, addressing the "people of Venezuela", urges his compatriots to take to the streets to show support for their rebellion.

"You asked to take to the streets to defend the constitution, well here we are," he said in a video shot at night in which several heavily armed men and a national guard truck can be seen in the background.

"You wanted us to light the fuse, so we did. We need your support," he added.

In the adjacent neighbourhood of Cotiza, a small group of residents could be seen banging pots and pans, burning rubbish and throwing rocks at security forces stationed near the national guard post.

Juan Guaido, president of the congress, said the incident is a sign of growing discontent within the armed forces.

"Our military knows that the command chain is broken by the usurpation of the presidency," Guaido said in a message on Twitter in which he reiterated a promise to support all members of the armed forces working to restore Venezuela's democratic order.

Pressure has been mounting on Maduro to cede power after he began a second, six-year term this month after banning several leading opponents from running against him.

Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said on Twitter that those responsible for the incident would be punished with the full force of the law.


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Source: AAP


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