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Beauty queen dies after being shot during Venezuelan protest

CARACAS, Venezuela, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- A university student and beauty queen who supported the Venezuelan opposition died Wednesday, a day after she was wounded during a demonstration.

Genesis Carmona, 22, was hit by gunfire Tuesday, the newspaper El Universal reported. She was participating in a demonstration by opponents of President Nicolas Maduro in Valencia, the capital of Carabobo state two hours from Caracas.

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Nine people were wounded by gunfire during the protest. A day later, Carmona, Miss Tourism 2013 in Carabobo, became the fifth person killed in a week in political violence.

CNN said Carmona's Twitter account shows she was an active supporter of Leopoldo Lopez, the leader of the Popular Will Party. Lopez turned himself in Tuesday to authorities, with his detention setting off more demonstrations.

Four protesters and one government supporter have now been killed in the past few days. Maduro in a televised speech Wednesday night accused his opponents of being responsible for the violence, CNN reported.

"You think this is a novel? This is the reality that you with your hatred have created," he said. "If you don't like Venezuela, leave."

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