Reuters – Bolivia’s electoral board released new data late on Monday (October 21) that showed President Evo Morales had enough votes to win the hotly contested election, sparking allegations of fraud from the opposition and angry clashes in the streets.

Images shared on social media showed protesters burning the burned mounds of ballot boxes, setting fire to count stations in Tarija and Sucre.

After a nearly 24-hour gap, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) updated its count to show Morales with a wider lead of 46.85% of votes to rival Carlos Mesa’s 36.73%, just enough to give him the 10-point lead needed to win in the first round.

The uncertainty sparked protests in the landlocked South American country and fears among international election observers and diplomats about potential manipulation of the vote, with some worried it could trigger the kind of violent unrest that has recently roiled Chile and Ecuador. If Morales wins, Latin America’s longest continuous-serving standing leader would extend his rule to 19 years.

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