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| Sunday, 25 December 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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The triumph of Evo Morales by J. Vitarana Evo Morales, candidate of the Movement toward Socialism (MAS) has convincingly won the Presidential election in Bolivia, the poorest country in South America. He obtained over 50 percent of the vote beating his rival by some 20-percentage votes. Incidentally he is the first indigenous Indian to become the President of Bolivia. MAS represents a synthesis of two revolutionary currents in the Bolivian society - the indigenous peasant movement and the urban working and middle class Left democratic movement. The triumph of Morales signifies a shift to the Left in another Latin American Country. Chile is predicted to follow suit in January. Dr. Michelle Bachelet of the Chilean Socialist Party has already won the first round of the election and she is sure to be elected on January 15 at the second round. Already Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Cuba are chartering a new development path for the Continent. With the institution of Petro-Caribbe they have initiated the ALBA or the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America. Evo Morales has already declared that he will pursue ALBA and will oppose the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) proposed by the United States. Morales has promised to nationalise Bolivia's petroleum and natural gas reserves and discard the neo-liberal model of development. He has also promised economic redistribution in favour of the poor. Of utmost significance is his plan to elect a Constituent Assembly and write a new Constitution for the country. However unpalatable the election result is to the United states it has no option other than co-existing with yet another Leftist regime in its backyard. The Christian Science Monitor has already warned Washington not to threaten Morales with sanctions. In its December 22 issue the Christian Science Monitor said, "Many Latin America nations may also elect leftists. Their people are unhappy that open markets haven't curbed corruption or sharp disparities of wealth. The US must be empathetic and work carefully with that tend, not belligerently". But will it?
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