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Mexico's President tested positive for Covid-19

Mexico's President tested positive for Covid-19

Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador (known as "AMLO"), announced on his Twitter account on Sunday that he is Covid positive. The Head of State, under heavy criticism for his handling of the pandemic, and his own personal refusal to wear a face mask, revealed he has "mild symptoms''.

"As always, I am optimistic. We will all get through this," he wrote on the social network.

He also said he will continue to carry out his duties from his official residence - the National Palace in Mexico City. While he recovers, the Secretary of the Interior, Olga Sánchez Cordero, will head the regular morning press briefings.

José Luis Alomía, General Director of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health, informed that the President "is stable".

 

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The EU calls for dialogue in Venezuela and considers Guaidó a "privileged interlocutor"

The European Union (EU) reiterated on Monday that the "only way out" of the crisis in Venezuela is to resume political negotiations and to establish a transition process leading to "fair elections", stressing the bloc sees the opposition's Juan Guaidó as a "key player" in this process.

In addition, Brussels demanded that the Venezuelan government guarantees "freedom and security" for opposition leaders, and threatened to apply more economic sanctions to Caracas.

The foreign ministers of the 27 EU countries avoided mentioning the status of Guaidó in this crisis, as he self proclaimed president-in-charge two years ago by an opposition-dominated National Assembly . However, European officials assured that he, as well as the rest of the deputies of the outgoing National Assembly are "important actors and privileged interlocutors as well" in the political process.

In a document summarizing the conclusions of Monday's discussions, the EU urged the opposition to take a "common stance for an inclusive process of dialogue and negotiation".

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Covid ravages the Brazilian Amazon amid a poor response from Bolsonaro's government

Brazil is the country with the most deaths in the world, behind the US, while the policies of the Federal Government have failed to rein in the pandemic, that is hitting harder the poorest regions.

The worst-hit is Amazonia, whose capital, Manaus, is going through a crisis with overcrowded hospitals, shortage of oxygen and patients struggling to breathe before dying. Some of the sick have even left the hospital and went back to die at their homes.

In Manaus there's a daily curfew in force 11 hours per day as well as restrictions in the use of public transportation, measures decreed by governor Wilson Lima, in the face of a second wave of the pandemic and without even reliable figures about new infections and deaths.

The situation in Manaus led authorities to divert several patients to other cities, too.

Translation and VO: Fernando Farias
Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web: Julián Cortez