Juan Guaido, President of Venezuela's National Assembly, gestures as he speaks during a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government and to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the end of the dictatorship of Marcos Perez Jimenez in Caracas, Venezuela January 23, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemala recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela, Guatemalan Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel said on Wednesday.

The recognition by U.S. ally Guatemala, the first from a Central American nation, came within hours of Guaido swearing himself in as the South American country’s president and followed recognition by the United States, Canada and several Latin American nations.