Six die in Guatemala protests: officials

TOTONICAPAN: Clashes in Guatemala between soldiers and Indians protesting hikes in electricity prices have left six people dead, officials said Friday.

The clashes occurred Thursday after thousands of Indians blocked sections of the Pan American Highway in the department of Totonicapan, 170 kilometers (105 miles) west of the capital, to demonstrate.

"We've determined that the number of people who died rose to six," said Ana Julia Solis, a spokeswoman for the national human rights prosecutor's office.

Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla confirmed the death toll but would not provide information on the circumstances that led to their deaths.

However, he said that among the injured, 13 had knife or machete wounds, and another 13 suffered blows.

President Otto Perez denied at a news conference that the military was involved in the incident, saying he had information that assailants in a civilian truck opened fire on the protesters. (AFP)