In the biggest Latin American story of the weekend, Bolivian president Evo Morales easily won reelection to a second term. According to exit polls the Andean leader triumphed over his conservative rival- former governor Manfred Reyes- with between 61% and 63% of the vote. Official results are expected in the coming days while foreign observers have reportedly “praised the election for its transparency and fairness.”
Morales’ victory was further strengthened by supposed gains made by the pro-government Movement Toward Socialism (MAS, in Spanish) party in the Bolivian legislature. MAS is expected to have won at least two-thirds of the seats; thus, Morales is expected to have a strong mandate to push through his polices such as greater state control of the economy.
Why did Morales and his cohorts win so easily? He has gained wide support among Bolivia’s indigenous and poor, as well as charm:
(…) for a majority of voters, it is Morales who will give Bolivians their best chance at moving forward, and he is a man they simply like and trust. "He's a really charismatic candidate. ... He's a president who has represented the people since his first day in office," says Tatiana Albarracín Murillo, a young lawyer and Morales supporter who lives in La Paz. "He's the first indigenous president of Bolivia – that affects his image. That along with his honesty, and the way he resolves problems from day to day, make him a very likable person. At the same time other groups, for the same characteristics, hate him. Even today, there are people who can't believe an Indian is president."
Image- Sydney Morning Herald (“Ballots for change ... an indigenous woman casts her vote during the presidential elections which returned the President, Evo Morales. Much of his support came from Bolivia’s indigenous majority.”)
Online Sources- Christian Science Monitor, BBC News, The Telegraph
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