Official: Evo Morales elected new president of Bolivia

The National Electoral Council confirmed that the anti-US Socialist leader obtained over 50 percent of the vote, which allows him to take over presidency in Januray

The National Electoral Council of Bolivia officially confirmed on Wednesday that Evo Morales is the new president of the country, as last Sunday obtained 53 percent of the vote. Thanks to the extraordinary election, Evo Morales will take over the nation's presidency in January, without Congress approval.

In the first public appearance as president-elect, Morales pledged to protect coca crops to help Indians, who celebrate the leaves as a centerpiece of their ancient culture. Morales, a coca farmer leader, led his followers against joint U.S.-Bolivia eradication campaigns for years, saying the programs hurt many indigenous farmers who grow the leaf - the raw ingredient used to make cocaine - for religious and cultural uses.

The issue will be the leading conflict between the new Bolivian administration and the United States. Washington believes that the fact that much coca is transformed into cocaine in thousands of clandestine labs, makes of Bolivia the world's third biggest cocaine producer after Colombia and Peru.

Good bye debt

Morales has something to celebrate. The International Monetary Fund released the South American nation and 19 other poor countries from the payment of their debts to the multinational organism.

Morales has strongly criticised the IMF and its pro-market policies that, according to him, made of Bolivia the poor nation it is today.

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