Evo Morales wins presidential elections in Bolivia
{{date|December 19, 2005}}

The New York Times has reported that [[w:Evo Morales|Evo Morales]] has won presidential [[w:elections|elections]] in [[w:Bolivia|Bolivia]].  Morales ran on a campaign of restoring coca farming in Bolivia, in spite of the United States' program to wipe out coca growing (in an effort to reduce the cocaine business).  Morales is an Aymara Indian and former coca farmer himself.  Morales described his victory as a signal that "a new history of Bolivia begins, a history where we search for equality, justice and peace with social justice."

At 9pm last night [[w:Jorge Quiroga|Jorge Quiroga]] conceded defeat saying, "I congratulate Evo Morales."  The National Electoral Court had yet to confirm the votes as of Sunday night, but Morales is expected to win easily.  According to the Bolivian media based on exit polling, Morales is expected to receive 51 percent of the vote, compared to 30 percent for his nearest rival, Jorge Quiroga.

Evo Morales' government will be the first to be led by an indigenous president in the nation's history.  Morales' left of center policies, especially his support for the coca industry will likely not make him a popular Latin American figure for the Bush administration in the United States, who might be afraid of a closer alliance between Morales, Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, Fidel Castro of Cuba, and even the more moderate but still left-of-center Luiz Lula da Silva of Brazil.

Morales has commented saying that under his administration there will be "zero cocaine, zero narco-trafficking but not zero coca."  In addition to being against the U.S. policy of coca extermination, Morales is also against many of the neoliberal policies of the past Bolivian governments, including free trade agreements.  However he might have some difficulty getting through his new programs as the Movement Toward Socialism party to which he is a member did not win control of the congress.

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/19/international/americas/19bolivia.html
|title=Coca Advocate Wins Election for President in Bolivia
|author=Juan Forero
|pub=New York Times
|date=December 19, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002691560_boliviavote19.html
|title=Leftist elected president in Bolivia
|author=Jack Chang and Bill Faries
|pub=The Seattle Times
|date=December 19, 2005}}

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{{archive}}
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:South America]]
[[Category:Bolivia]]
[[Category:Fidel Castro]]
[[Category:New York Times]]
[[Category:Evo Morales]]
[[Category:Cocaine]]

[[de:Bolivien: Evo Morales siegt bei der Präsidentenwahl]]
[[es:Evo Morales es elegido presidente de Bolivia]]
[[ja:ボリビア大統領選、エボ・モラレス氏の初当選が確実に]]
[[pt:Pesquisas feitas às saidas das urnas indicam que Evo Morales foi eleito Presidente da Bolívia]]
[[ru:Президентские выборы в Боливии]]
[[sv:Evo Morales ny president i Bolivia]]
The New York Times has reported that Evo Morales has won presidential elections in Bolivia.  Morales ran on a campaign of restoring coca farming in Bolivia, in spite of the United States' program to wipe out coca growing (in an effort to reduce the cocaine business).  Morales is an Aymara Indian and former coca farmer himself.  Morales described his victory as a signal that "a new history of Bolivia begins, a history where we search for equality, justice and peace with social justice."

At 9pm last night Jorge Quiroga conceded defeat saying, "I congratulate Evo Morales."  The National Electoral Court had yet to confirm the votes as of Sunday night, but Morales is expected to win easily.  According to the Bolivian media based on exit polling, Morales is expected to receive 51 percent of the vote, compared to 30 percent for his nearest rival, Jorge Quiroga.

Evo Morales' government will be the first to be led by an indigenous president in the nation's history.  Morales' left of center policies, especially his support for the coca industry will likely not make him a popular Latin American figure for the Bush administration in the United States, who might be afraid of a closer alliance between Morales, Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, Fidel Castro of Cuba, and even the more moderate but still left-of-center Luiz Lula da Silva of Brazil.

Morales has commented saying that under his administration there will be "zero cocaine, zero narco-trafficking but not zero coca."  In addition to being against the U.S. policy of coca extermination, Morales is also against many of the neoliberal policies of the past Bolivian governments, including free trade agreements.  However he might have some difficulty getting through his new programs as the Movement Toward Socialism party to which he is a member did not win control of the congress.

*


de:Bolivien: Evo Morales siegt bei der Präsidentenwahl
es:Evo Morales es elegido presidente de Bolivia
ja:ボリビア大統領選、エボ・モラレス氏の初当選が確実に
Pesquisas feitas às saidas das urnas indicam que Evo Morales foi eleito Presidente da Bolívia
Politics and conflicts South America Bolivia Fidel Castro New York Times Evo Morales Cocaine