BOLIVIA: In his victory speech on Sunday night, president-elect Evo Morales promised Bolivia's poor, mainly Indian, majority an end to "the injustice, the discrimination, the marginalisation which we have suffered historically, and an end to neo-liberalism and the colonial state to construct an inclusive and more just country".
Saying a third millennium of the people had replaced the previous one of empire, Mr Morales also called for the construction of the patria grande of Simón Bolivar, South America's great independence hero after whom Bolivia is named.
"There's an enormous responsibility to change our history," he told jubilant supporters. "And with these election results I'm convinced that the change that the Bolivian people are seeking will be respected."
The victory was swiftly welcomed by Hugo Chávez, who is leading his own leftist "Bolivarian Revolution" in Venezuela.
"Evo is promising good things - a new Bolivia," said Paulino Flores, a MAS voter in La Paz. "Many presidents made promises but didn't fulfil them, but Evo has suffered and was in misery like the people, whereas other presidents were rich and never lacked for anything and the people didn't interest them."
With such a overwhelming mandate, though, Mr Morales's greatest challenge might be holding together his fractious movement.
Even before Sunday's vote, one MAS leader was calling for the movement's base organisations and not the leadership to select the cabinet.
"MAS is not a coherent organised political party but rather a conjunction of various unions and social movements," said René Mayorga, a political analyst in La Paz, "so once in government, Morales will come under pressure from different elements within his own movement."
The president elect said yesterday his government would end the rights of natural gas producers at the well head, but foreign companies said they would continue operating in Bolivia.
Mr Morales, whose campaign promised to nationalise the natural gas industry, said his government would seek service contracts with companies to exploit natural gas fields.
"Property rights at the well head are over. That's finished. We need partners, not owners," Mr Morales said at a news conference in the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba, a day after winning with a larger majority than many had expected.
Bolivia has South America's second largest natural gas reserves, an estimated 48.7 trillion cubic feet. It produces 35 million cubic metres a day, of which 90 per cent is exported.
Two presidents in three years have been toppled in massive protests as Bolivians sought indigenous rights and more control over natural gas, which is produced by foreign investors.
"We need technology to explore and prospect. We will pay for the services of those multinationals," Mr Morales said. "If they accept Bolivian rules, they are welcome as partners, but they cannot be the ones that have ownership control."
Shares in Spanish oil and gas major Repsol YPF, which has natural gas operations in Bolivia, fell 2.31 per cent to €24.56 in Madrid yesterday, after Mr Morales was elected.
A company spokesman said Repsol's chairman congratulated Mr Morales and expressed the company's willingness to continue working in the country.
Brazil's Petrobras, which is responsible for one quarter of Bolivia's natural gas production, also sought to reach out to Mr Morales. Nestor Cervero, director of Petrobras's international operations, said the company wanted to increase its natural gas imports from Bolivia.
"I publicly and openly congratulate Don Evo Morales," said his chief rival, Jorge Quiroga, a conservative free-market advocate yesterday.
"Now is the moment to set aside our differences and look to the future with peace, tranquillity and harmony among all Bolivians."
The third-place candidate, cement magnate Samuel Doria Medina, also conceded defeat: "Evo Morales won and that's what I have to say."
Reuters