Venezuela protest leader Lopez hands himself in

Leopoldo Lopez denies he has committed any crime and says allegations that he incited violence are untrue

Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez has handed himself over to the National Guard, witnesses say.

It comes as pro- and anti-government protesters take part in rival rallies in the capital, Caracas.

Mr Lopez, who is wanted on charges of inciting violence, had said he would lead the anti-government march before handing himself in to the authorities.

Tensions have been running high in the deeply polarised country; at least three people have died in clashes.
The three - two anti-government protesters and one government supporter - died of bullet wounds sustained during demonstrations last Wednesday.

Participants in a protest in the eastern city of Carupano said another student was killed when he was run over by a car during a march on Monday night.
Mr Lopez got into an armoured vehicle after giving a speech to an opposition rally in Caracas to give himself in on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

Ahead of the rallies, Caracas Mayor Jorge Rodriguez warned that he had not authorised Tuesday's opposition march.

Police and members of the National Guard are out in force. Opposition activists have accused them of trying to prevent them from attending the anti-government rally.

The anti-government demonstration was called by Mr Lopez, leader of the opposition Popular Will party and former mayor of Chacao district in eastern Caracas.

Conspiracy allegations
 
Earlier, he urged his supporters to join the march but asked them to stop short of the Interior Ministry, which is located in a pro-government area of Caracas and where he was planning to hand in a petition.
"I will walk alone. I won't put any Venezuelan lives at risk. Go Venezuela!" he wrote on Twitter.
In a video statement released on Sunday, he said he had not committed any crime and insisted allegations that he had incited violence were untrue.

He also promised to hand himself in at the end of Tuesday's march.
"If there is a decision to legally throw me in jail, I'll submit myself to this persecution," he said.

The BBC's Irene Caselli in Caracas says thousands of people - many wearing white and holding Venezuelan flags - have gathered in the east of the city in support of Mr Lopez.
He had been expected to join the march and lead it towards the Interior Ministry.

Anti-government protesters are angry about high inflation, crime and the shortage of some staples

 

Oil workers dressed in red of the ruling Socialist Party, held their own demonstration 

 

But that side of the city is now full of crowds of rival demonstrators and oil workers wearing red, our correspondent adds.

The US state department earlier denied that it was helping to organise the anti-government protests.
"The allegation that the United States is helping to organise protesters in Venezuela is baseless and false," spokeswoman Jan Psaki said.

Her statement came a day after Venezuela announced it would expel three US diplomats for allegedly meeting students who had been leading marches.

The main opposition grievances are high inflation, crime and the shortage of some staples.
The government has blamed the shortages on "saboteurs" and "profit-hungry corrupt businessmen".