TRIPOLI - Libya's deputy foreign minister denied media reports that leader Muammar Gaddafi has fled Libya over the latest wave of protests and unrest that swept the country over the past seven days, the state TV reported Monday.

Media reports on Monday quoted British Foreign Secretary William Hague as saying that he has seen information suggesting Gaddafi, in power for 41 years, had fled his country and made his way to Venezuela, a strong ally to the Libya leader.