- Title: Bolivians living abroad vote on extending Evo's rule
- Date: 20th October 2019
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIA'S AMBASSADOR TO ARGENTINA, SANTOS TITO VELIZ, SAYING: "Today is a celebration of democracy. It is a historic event that started in 2008 when the Bolivian community carried out a symbolic vote and later was approved by the Constitution which was approved by President Evo Morales. So starting in 2009, and then later in 2014, and after the referendum on February 21, 2016, votes cast by Bolivians living abroad could be accepted and they too can participate like every other Bolivian. But it started by the Bolivian community living here in Argentina." VARIOUS OF BOLIVIANS LIVING IN ARGENTINA LOOKING AT LISTS ON WALL SEARCHING FOR THEIR VOTING TABLE BALLOT BOX VARIOUS OF ELECTORAL WORKERS SIGNING AND STAMPING BALLOTS VOTER PLACING BALLOT IN BOX SUPREME ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL OFFICIAL WHO LIVES IN ARGENTINA, JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ, SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SUPREME ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL OFFICIAL, JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ, SAYING: "This act that is happening in Argentina is the fourth electoral moment, the fourth time that it is being carried out. The people realise that these votes are from abroad, on the 20th. That is why they have come. At 6 AM, people have arrived here asking where they can vote, who are the candidates and also asked for instructions. We have tended to each of these questions. Here in Buenos Aires, we have around 161,000 voters who will be participating in the electoral process." VOTER PLACING BALLOT IN BOX VARIOUS OF BOLIVIANS LIVING IN ARGENTINA QUEUING TO VOTE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN NATIONAL WHO HAS BEEN LIVING IN ARGENTINA SINCE 1985, GERTRUDES GARCIA CORRALES, SAYING: "I always come to vote, as a citizen and as the Bolivian that I am. I hope that my vote helps support my country. I may not live there but my roots are there, I have family there so I vote for their future." VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF SCHOOL IN BUENOS AIRES THAT IS SERVING AS VOTING CENTRE FOR BOLIVIAN NATIONALS RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (OCTOBER 20, 2019) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF BOLIVIAN CONSULATE IN RIO / BOLIVIAN FLAG FLYING BOLIVIAN FLAG FLAPPING IN WIND SIGN FOR BOLIVIAN CONSULATE ON DOOR WOMAN OPENING DOOR AND WALKING INTO CONSULATE, FOLLOWED BY MAN BOLIVIAN FLAG PEOPLE IN WAITING AREA BALLOT BOX WOMAN SIGNING VOTING DOCUMENTS SIGN ON VOTING TABLE WOMAN CASTING HER VOTE BALLOT FALLING INTO BOX (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL REPRESENTATIVE, JUANA ZAMBRANA ORELLANA, SAYING: "We are here in the Consulate in Rio de Janeiro, and I am the electoral tribunal representative here. We hope that all the Bolivians come. We have 314 Bolivians registered, and we hope that we have a successful election. We hope that all are able to come and vote. We have also had a few issues were people come to vote but unfortunately do not have the biometric registration." MAN PICKING UP CHILD IN WAITING AREA MAN AND CHILD WOMAN RECEIVING BALLOT WOMAN CASTING BALLOT
- Embargoed: 3rd November 2019 17:31
- Keywords: Bolivia election voting President Evo Morales re-election Argentina Brazil
- Location: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA / RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- City: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA / RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- Country: Bolivia
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA003B1WJ0AV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Bolivians living in Argentina and Brazil voted on Sunday (October 20) in an election that'll decide whether to extend the rule of President Evo Morales to nearly two decades, or oust the great survivor of South America's "pink tide" of leftists leaders.
Bolivians living abroad started queuing early so their ballots could also be counted. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, there were some 161,000 registered Bolivian voters.
In Rio de Janeiro, expiates gathered at the Bolivian Consulate to cast their vote.
Morales, widely known as just "Evo", is the favourite to win, but it is set to be his toughest race yet since sweeping to power as Bolivia's first indigenous president in 2006. Recent opinion polls show he could win with his weakest ever mandate and may face a risky second round run-off.
Morales needs 40% of ballots and a 10-point lead to win outright on Sunday. Polls open at 8 am (1200 GMT) and close eight hours later. The next president will govern from 2020-2025.
Despite growing disenchantment with Morales, support for the opposition will be divided among eight candidates, all of whom trail behind Morales by double digits in a recent poll by Viaciencia.
(Production: Juan Bustamante, Horacio Soria, Douglas Engle) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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