Venezuela braced Saturday for dueling protests -- pro- and anti-government -- a day after police used tear gas to disperse students leading the biggest challenge yet to President Nicolas Maduro.

Maduro, a leftwing firebrand, has urged supporters to turn out in force for demonstrations "for peace and against fascism." He has said he himself will take part in the afternoon rally.

Soldiers fired tear gas and deployed water cannons late Friday to break up hundreds of student demonstrators blocking a highway in protest against President Nicolas Maduro.

Members of the Bolivarian National Guard chased off hundreds of protesters to protest Maduro's leftist policies.

A candidate running for Colombia's congress next month was found after being missing for more than a day and says he was abducted, police said Friday.

Jose Gregorio Botello is in good shape, Humberto Guatibonza, director of the police anti-kidnapping unit, told reporters. He said police received a tipoff that led them to Botello.

Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro called on supporters to march "for peace and against fascism," this weekend following fierce student-led opposition protests that erupted into deadly violence.

Thousands of students have protested on each of the past two days in the Venezuelan capital, in the biggest challenge to Maduro's leadership since he took over from the late Hugo Chavez last year.

Venezuela must bring to justice those responsible for attacks that left three people dead and scores injured during anti-government protests this week, the U.N.'s human rights office said Friday.

"We are deeply concerned about the escalation of violence, and in particular, the death of at least three people during demonstrations in Caracas on Wednesday," said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.

President Nicolas Maduro vowed Wednesday to tighten security in cities across Venezuela after protests against his government turned deadly, killing three people and injuring 26 others.

"There will be no coup d'etat in Venezuela; you can rest assured. Democracy will continue, and the revolution will continue," Maduro said on national television.

Unidentified assailants on a motorcycle fired into a crowd of anti-government protesters in Caracas, wounding at least two people.

The gunmen fled after firing the shots outside the attorney general's office, where protesters had gathered to demonstrate against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuelan armed forces seized 3.6 tonnes of marijuana when they intercepted a truck near the border with Colombia, narcotics police said Friday.

The suspicious vehicle was stopped in the western state of Apure, the National Anti-Drug Office (ONA) said.

Citizens of Venezuela's socialist revolution have grown accustomed to long lines for everything from bread to buying a car.

But 26-year-old Daniela Rodriguez hopes this line will be her last.

It turns out there is a Guinness record for the place with the most lightning, and an area of Venezuela with 20,000 flashes of it per hour has won.

The certification was handed over Tuesday by Guinness Book of World Records representative Johanna Hessling.