How Evo Morales Made Bolivia A Better Place ... Before He Was Forced To Flee
November 26, 20193:17 PM ET
Isabella Gomez Sarmiento
President Evo Morales attended the inauguration of new buildings in a housing project in 2016. The indigenous Aymara artist Roberto Mamani Mamani painted murals over a building facade.
Marcelo Perez Del Carpio/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Evo Morales stepped down from the Bolivian presidency on November 10, after the military asked him to do so, and fled to Mexico for asylum.
His departure followed nationwide controversy over his re-election in October. Morales had called for a court appeal to allow him to run beyond the constitutionally-mandated term limit. And then the election itself was marred by polling irregularities and fraud.
Unrest has ensued. Security forces fired on protesters who support Morales last on Nov. 15; eight were killed and many others injured. More than 30 people have been killed since the Oct. 20 vote.
But despite the turmoil, there is another perspective on the nearly 14 years Morales held office.
As the country's first indigenous president, Morales promised to bring power to marginalized groups. And he fulfilled that promise.
More:
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/11/26/781199250/how-evo-morales-made-bolivia-a-better-place-before-he-was-forced-to-flee