UN warns Venezuela over 'use of excessive force'

GENEVA - 8 Aug 2017: The United Nations Human Rights Office has warned of "widespread and systematic use of excessive force" being used against protesters in Venezuela.

It also speaks of other human rights violations, including "violent house raids, torture and ill-treatment", the BBC reported on Tuesday.

It says that the security forces are allegedly responsible for at least 46 deaths which occurred in protest-related violence.

The findings are based on interviews.

A statement released by the UN says that "in the absence of responses from the Venezuelan authorities to requests for access, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein deployed a team of human rights officers to conduct remote monitoring of the human rights situation in the country ".

Witnesses told the UN that the Venezuelan security forces had fired tear gas and buckshot without warning.

"Security forces have reportedly also resorted to the use of deadly force against demonstrators," the statement reads