Bolivia’s President Morales Wins Third Term

Bolivia’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal says incumbent President Evo Morales has won a third term in office.

According to the preliminary election results, Morales won 61 percent of the vote in Sunday’s election.

Samuel Doria Medina, his closest rival, garnered 18 percent.

 Earlier surveys showed that Morales had a commanding 59 percent support heading into the election.

Morales now extends his time in office to 14 years, until January 2020.

Almost six million people, out of the country’s over 10 million population, were registered to vote in the presidential and congressional elections both inside and outside Bolivia.

The Morales administration has nationalized the oil and gas sectors and improved social welfare.

He has garnered support for alleviating poverty and has made extensive social and economic changes since taking office in 2006.

The number of Bolivians living in extreme poverty has fallen significantly during his tenure.

The country’s economy witnessed a 6.8 growth rate in 2013 and is predicted to grow over 5 percent this year.

Morales, who became the first indigenous leader of Bolivia in nearly 500 years after his inauguration in January 2006, has many times accused NGOs of clandestinely working for Bolivia’s enemies and conspiring against the country.

The indigenous people of Bolivia and the rest of South America have suffered through five centuries of oppression, which began with the European invasion and conquest of the Americas.

 

US sanctions against Russia is economic terrorism – Morales to RT

On Morales ‘s victory, RT interviewed him to talk about  US sanctions against Russia .

“This (US sanctions against Russia) is genuine economic terrorism. The country that thinks it can dominate the world is making a mistake,” says Morales.

“I think that US President Barack Obama doesn’t’ know what is going on in other countries and continents.”

According to Morales, a single country “cannot rule in this multipolar world,” as all the issues should be “settled in cooperation among the states; that’s what the UN is for.”

“Thus I condemn and reject these kind of actions (US sanctions against Russia),” said the president, adding that Bolivia shares “the struggle of the Russian people.”

“I express my solidarity with Russian people and their President [Vladimir Putin],” he added.

In an interview with RT, he noted that one of the main political purposes for Bolivia will be fighting poverty.

“I hope that nobody will have the childhood I had: without electricity, telecommunications, drinking water,” said Morales, adding that he often drank water from a pond when he was a child.

According to the Bolivian president, the country has achieved in just nine years what it hitherto couldn’t achieve in 180.

“I want to speak of my experience. How important it was to start from the bottom: poverty. That’s why I always say that my nation is my family. Homeland is my soul. Bolivia is my life.”

‘I would like to be a waiter’

Morales also revealed to RT his secret dream to be a waiter and to live an ordinary life.

“I would like to have my own restaurant, where I would work as a waiter. Yes, I really would like that,” Morales said.

He admitted that he is not an expert cook, but he has a lot of acquaintances, now mayors, who in their past were cooks.

“Imagine, ex-mayors cook, and an ex-president serves the table. This won’t be an expensive place but we will charge those who want to take a photo with the ex-president-waiter,” he said.

After his presidential term he said he wants to go to his homeland, the city of Cochabamba in central Bolivia and be a farmer and spend more time with his friends.

He had seven siblings and as his family were farmers; Morales used to help them to grow crops.

PRESS T.V, RT

R.S