- Title: Bolivia's Morales travels to Cuba for medical evaluation
- Date: 2nd March 2017
- Summary: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (MARCH 1, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF GOVERNMENT PALACE
- Embargoed: 16th March 2017 00:33
- Keywords: Evo Morales Cuba emergency trip Rene Martinez throat condition
- Location: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
- City: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
- Country: Bolivia
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001669MIIR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Bolivian President Evo Morales took an "emergency trip" to Cuba on Wednesday (March 01) to seek treatment for a throat condition, presidential minister Rene Martinez said, adding that the president would receive a "routine evaluation."
The throat complications have been going on for "quite some time" and have caused Morales, 57, to have difficulty speaking and prompted him to cancel public appearances, Martinez told reporters.
"[I am here] to tell the country that President Evo Morales Ayma had to travel for health reasons. He has a throat condition that he had been following up on days earlier and the issue has been complicated. This morning we had a cabinet meeting. The cabinet had made an evaluation and per medical advice, it was decided that our president would have a routine evaluation in Cuba," he said.
Morales took office in the Andean country in 2006 and was elected to a third term in 2014. He said last year he may run for a fourth consecutive term in 2019 elections despite losing a referendum that would have reformed the country's constitution to allow him to run again.
Martinez said that within a few days, a preliminary report about Morales' health would be made public. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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