Left-leaning excitement in Bolivia...

For Bolivian Majority, a New Promise
By Monte Reel
The Washington Post
Monday 23 January 2006

La Paz, Bolivia - The streets of this colonial city erupted in song and fireworks Sunday to celebrate the inauguration of Evo Morales, Bolivia's first Indian president, who promised to begin reversing centuries of social injustice, insulate the country from U.S. influence and reclaim natural resources that he says have been exploited by international capitalism.

Morales, 46, broke into tears before addressing Bolivia's Congress and the presidents of many neighboring South American countries, a gathering that illustrated the region's ongoing political shift toward socialism. The former coca grower likened his historic rise to power in Bolivia, where people of Indian descent make up more than 60 percent of the population, to the end of apartheid in South Africa.

"This morning I was very happy to see my brothers and sisters singing in the historical Plaza Murillo and Plaza San Francisco," said Morales, referring to the celebrations attended by thousands of indigenous citizens in the city's main squares. "Forty or 50 years ago, we didn't even have the right to enter the Plaza San Francisco or the Plaza Murillo."

Morales won the election riding a wave of discontent against the elites who have traditionally ruled the country. Massive protests have become a regular part of Bolivian life in recent years, helping to oust two presidents since 2003. But the atmosphere of celebration in the streets that lasted deep into the night was a reflection of the widespread support Morales enjoys upon entering office. An opinion poll released this weekend by the Bolivian firm Apoyo said that support for Morales stands at 74 percent, an unprecedented level in the country's recent history.