Share

Bolivia's interim President Anez says she has coronavirus

  • Bolivia's interim President Jeanine Anez is postive for coronavirus.
  • Four members of her cabinet are also positive for the virus.
  • She will remain in quarantine for two weeks.


Bolivia's interim President Jeanine Anez announced on Thursday that she has tested positive for coronavirus.

"I've tested positive for Covid-19, I'm fine, I will work from isolation," she tweeted.

LIVE | All the latest coronavirus and lockdown updates

The 53-year-old said in a video on Twitter that she would remain in quarantine for 14 days before taking another test.

Anez becomes the second South American president in a matter of days to contract the coronavirus after Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro announced his positive result on Tuesday.

Another high-ranking Latin American government official to contract the virus is Venezuela's Constitutional Assembly President Diosdado Cabello, widely considered the second-most powerful person in the country after President Nicolas Maduro.

Controversial re-election

Four members of Anez's cabinet had tested positive in recent days.

"Given many of them tested positive over the last week, I took the test and I was also positive," said Anez.

The interim leader's illness comes with Bolivia gearing up for a general election in less than two months, despite being in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

Anez initially opposed the September election but eventually relented.

The conservative politician assumed the interim presidency in November after socialist former leader Evo Morales resigned and fled the country following three weeks of unrest over his controversial re-election.

Morales had stood for a potential fourth consecutive term despite the constitution limiting a president to two successive mandates.

Although he initially tried to hold onto power, he lost the backing of the armed forces after a report by the Organisation of American States found evidence of election fraud in his victory.

Bolivia, a country of 11 million, has recorded almost 43 000 coronavirus infections and more than 1 500 deaths.

Stay healthy and entertained during the national lockdown. Sign up for our Lockdown Living newsletter. Sign up and manage your newsletters in the new News24 app by clicking on the Profile tab

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
68% - 1853 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
32% - 889 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.74
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.41
+0.3%
Rand - Euro
19.99
+0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.14
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.4%
Platinum
949.00
+0.3%
Palladium
943.00
-1.5%
Gold
2,286.12
-0.0%
Silver
26.41
+0.5%
Brent Crude
86.33
-1.0%
Top 40
69,925
-0.7%
All Share
76,076
-0.5%
Resource 10
61,271
-4.5%
Industrial 25
105,022
+0.4%
Financial 15
16,591
+1.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE