Massive protests led mostly by students across Venezuela have claimed six lives for over a week in the ensuing clashes with security forces, Reuters reported.

The governor of the western state of the Táchira denounced a group of students besieging his residence with rocks, home-made bombs and gunfire on Feb. 6, in what became the first of a series of protests across the country. The consequent arrest of a group of young people, ages ranging from 16 to 20, led to more protests demanding their liberation.

“One man was killed when unknown assailants fired shots at government supporters in the southern state of Bolivar, bringing the death toll from a week of political strife to six, Venezuela's interior minister said Wednesday,” a Fox News Latino report said.

Protesters blame Hugo Chavez’s successor, President Nicolas Maduro, for the current situation in Venezuela.

“The protesters, mostly students, want Maduro to resign, and blame his government for violent crime, high inflation, shortages of goods and alleged repression of opponents,” Reuters reported.

Opposition leaders have joined the protests, calling people into the streets to demonstrate against the government.

One of the opposition leaders, Leopoldo Lopez, was arrested earlier this week on terrorism charges, but the prosecutors dropped the case, news reports said.