La Paz, Dec. 19, 2005.- The Andean Community Secretary General, Ambassador Allan Wagner Tizón, hailed Evo Morales’ triumph in the general election held yesterday in Bolivia.

“His is a resounding victory that constitutes a definite mandate from the country at large, expressed in a transparent and democratic election in which the people’s turnout was massive,” Wagner pointed out.

The CAN Secretary General was invited to La Paz as a special guest to witness the general election in Bolivia.  He was present yesterday at the opening of the voting process, then visited several voting stations with the Head of the OAS Observer Mission, Horacio Serpa, made a visit to the Bishop of El Alto and Executive Secretary of the Bolivian Episcopal Conference, Monsignor Jesús Juárez, and together with the other observers and guests followed up the process and its results.

Today he will meet with Bolivia’s new elected officials to discuss items of the Andean Community Agenda and the country’s participation in the forthcoming Presidential Summit to be held in Venezuela in January.