Dario Vivas, the Mayor of Venezuela’s capital Caracas, has died after suffering from Covid-19 for more than three weeks.
The senior member of the ruling socialist party died on Thursday.
The 70-year-old announced on July 18 that he had tested positive for the virus and was undergoing treatment in isolation, reports Xinhua news agency.
“I report that I have tested positive for … COVID-19,” Vivas said on Twitter at the time.
Known to be a strong ally of President Nicolas Maduro, Vivas was appointed head of the Capital District in January.
Vivas is the first top-level government official to die of Covid-19, although several others have tested positive, including Diosdado Cabello, the president of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC); Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami; and several governors and mayors of the South American nation.