Jose Felix Pineda, a candidate in a controversial election taking place in Venezuela was shot on Sunday, after assassins broke into his home.

The 39-year-old lawyer who was on a ticket to become part of a Constituent Assembly tasked with rewriting the constitution, was murdered overnight in his home in the southeastern city of Ciudad Bolivar, the prosecutors office said.

He was the second candidate to be murdered, after the July 10 death of another, Jose Luis Rivas, as he was campaigning in the northern city of Maracay.

Deadly violence erupted after his murder, with troops firing weapons to clear protesters in Caracas.

National guard troops used armored vehicles and fired shots to disperse protesters blocking roads.

Azeez