Evo Morales Sworn In as Bolivia's First Indigenous President

Context

Bolivia entered the twenty-first century with entrenched inequalities that traced back to its colonial era and the republican period that followed independence. A majority indigenous population, chiefly Aymara and Quechua, remained largely excluded from political power and economic opportunity, while governments drawn from urban elites of European descent pursued policies of privatization and market liberalization that often deepened rural poverty.

What Happened

After winning the December 2005 presidential election with 54 percent of the vote, Morales prepared for his inauguration amid widespread anticipation in La Paz. On January 21 he took part in a traditional Andean ceremony at the pre-Inca ruins of Tiwanaku, where indigenous authorities offered blessings as he stood barefoot in a red tunic. The following day the formal swearing-in occurred at the National Congress in the capital, attended by thousands of supporters and regional leaders including Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In his address Morales pledged to reverse centuries of marginalization through nationalization of natural resources and expanded rights for native communities.

Aftermath

Within weeks Morales’s government began rolling out promised reforms, including the renationalization of the hydrocarbon industry and the introduction of land-reform legislation targeting unproductive estates. These measures strengthened his base among indigenous and peasant organizations while drawing opposition from business interests in the eastern lowlands.

Legacy

Morales’s election opened a period of constitutional transformation that redefined Bolivia as a plurinational state and embedded indigenous representation in national institutions. His approach to resource sovereignty and social policy influenced parallel movements across Latin America, even as it sharpened domestic political divisions that persisted beyond his time in office.