Final count gives leftist big victory in Bolivia election
Associated PressLA PAZ, Bolivia — A final official vote count released Friday gave leftist Luis Arce a smashing victory in Bolivia’s presidential election, a vindication for the Movement Toward Socialism party of ousted President Evo Morales, who was barred from running. Arce served as economy minister for a dozen years under Morales, Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, as the country’s mineral exports boomed and poverty was sharply reduced. Since winning election, Arce has downplayed speculation of a major role in his administration for Morales, whose popularity was dented in his final years as president by a refusal to accept term limits and by perceived growing authoritarianism. The new election was organized by a revamped electoral tribunal under a deeply conservative interim government that has tried to reverse many of Morales’ economic, cultural and foreign policies.