His election was hailed as a milestone achievement for the nation's indigenous population which had not gained the right to vote until 1952. He ushered in a new constitution that created a Congress with seats reserved for Bolivia's smaller indigenous groups and recognized the Andean earth deity Pachamama instead of the Roman Catholic Church. The charter also "refounded" Bolivia as a "plurinational" state, allowing self-rule for the nation's indigenous peoples. But Bolivia’s commercial hub, the eastern city of Santa Cruz, remained an opposition stronghold and was a center for the protests that ultimately helped oust him from power. He then upset many people by getting Bolivia's top court to throw out the limits, allowing him to seek a fourth term in this year's election.

Source: International New York Times November 17, 2019 05:03 UTC