VENEZUELA's foreign minister Elias Jaua has called US Secretary of State John Kerry a "murderer", accusing Washington of stirring the country's worst political troubles in a decade.

Kerry had said the Venezuelan government was using a "terror campaign" to repress its citizens. Anti-government demonstrations over the past six weeks have resulted in 28 deaths.

Jaua said: "Every time we're about to isolate and reduce the violence, Mr Kerry comes out with a declaration and immediately the street protests are activated."