Venezuelan regime accuses drug-fueled opposition protesters of burning man

May 22 (UPI) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's regime has accused drug-fueled opposition protesters of setting a 21-year-old government supporter on fire.

Venezuela's Ministry of People's Power for Internal Affairs, Justice and Peace, or MPPRIJP, said 80 percent of Orlando José Figuera's body sustained first- and second-degree burns after he was attacked by "terrorist groups" in Caracas' Altamira neighborhood on Saturday.

The MPPRIJP said Figuera was taken to the Hospital Dr. Domingo Luciani after the "abominable violent act."

"He also suffered knife wounds on various parts of his body," the MPPRIJP added. "The young man denounces that these groups under narcotic substances threw gasoline all over his body."

Saturday marked the 50th day of nearly daily anti-government protests in Venezuela. Maduro said opposition supporters targeted Figuera because he was a "Chavista" -- or supporter of late former President Hugo Chavez's socialist regime.

"A person was set on fire, beaten up, stabbed ...They nearly lynched him, just because he shouted out that he was a 'Chavista,'" Maduro said, adding the incident was "a hate crime and a crime against humanity," during a televised address on Sunday.

Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said the burning of the young man was an act of "inoculated facism" and likened those accused of carrying out the attack to "hysterical Nazis."

Though there have been some demonstrations in support of Maduro's regime, most are anti-government demonstrations decrying the country's economic collapse under Maduro's government and what the opposition says is the deterioration of democracy.

Nearly 50 people have died over the course of the protests.

The Venezuelan government and the opposition disagree on who is responsible for the damage that is destroying homes and businesses, as well as who is doing the killing.

Maduro's regime says the opposition is inciting violent protests, which are supported by pro-capitalist, interventionist international organizations and governments attempting to undermine Venezuela's government, an example being the United States. The regime also accuses "paramilitary" forces, some of which he said hide in Colombia, of attempting to increase insecurity and of launching attacks against security forces.

The Venezuelan opposition accuses Maduro's security forces of violently attacking and repressing peaceful protesters and of supporting "colectivos," or "collectives" -- a term used to describe civilian pro-government groups, some which have taken up arms against the political opposition.

Venezuelans have shared videos on social media of uniformed security forces carrying out acts of what they describe as unwarranted violence and vandalism, as well as videos of forces either helping or remaining unresponsive to acts of violence by "colectivos."

Last week, the United Nations Security Council held a closed-door session over the crisis in Venezuela at the request of the United States.