Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó tests positive for coronavirus

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó has tested positive for the coronavirus as the troubled South American nation experiences a new surge in COVID-19 cases, his communications team reported Saturday.

In a written statement, Guaidó’s team said that he recently went into voluntary quarantine after developing symptoms and that a PCR test came back positive. His representatives added that he is in “constant communication with his doctor” in order to “overcome this illness.”

Guaidó is recognized by the United States and dozens of other nations as Venezuela’s rightful president.

On Twitter, Guaidó said his symptoms were mild and that he’d alerted all those he’d been in contact with.

“I want to express my solidarity with the thousands of Venezuelans suffering during the pandemic,” he wrote. “Today we all have a relative or acquaintance affected by COVID-19.”

Venezuela has seen a recent uptick in the number of coronavirus cases, placing strain on the country’s weak health system.

Several Venezuelan political figures have contracted the virus in recent months, including both leaders of Nicolás Maduro’s regime and the opposition. Differences between both sides have hampered efforts to begin obtaining vaccines against the virus.