Bolivia in chaos as Evo Morales departs

Editor’s note (November 12th): This article was updated after Evo Morales flew to Mexico, where he has been granted asylum.

EVO MORALES built his political career in the Chapare, a rural coca-growing region in central Bolivia. He became Bolivia’s first president of indigenous origin in 2006 and thanks largely to his efforts to reduce poverty, won re-election twice before a disputed election this year he also claims to have captured. But on the afternoon of November 10th, he returned to the Chapare to announce his resignation. Mr Morales made clear that he did not do so willingly. He hinted at dark forces seeking to destroy Bolivian democracy, and claimed that he was the victim of a coup. On the next day he was on an aeroplane to Mexico, which had granted him political asylum.