Mexican president tests negative for COVID-19

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday that he has tested negative for coronavirus hours before traveling to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump.

Lopez Obrador explained in a press conference that, until now, he had never taken the test because he had no symptoms. However, out of "responsibility", he has decided to proceed as a previous step to his official visit to the neighboring country.

He said that he will have no problem repeating it if the White House asks him to do so before meeting with his American counterpart.

Mexico has recorded more than 261,000 positive cases for coronavirus and more than 31,100 deaths as of Tuesday.

The two leaders are scheduled to meet in person for the first time on Wednesday.

The main purpose of the visit is to mark the July 1 launch of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that Trump labels a “job killing failure.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not be attending the meeting.