Bolivian President Evo Morales Has Resigned After Nearly 14 Years in Power. Here's What to Know

But he said he was resigning to prevent further bloodshed, fulfilling his “obligation, as indigenous president and president of all Bolivians, to seek peace.” Here’s what to know about his resignation.Before Morales won his first election in 2005, Bolivia’s indigenous people — who make up at least 42% of the population according to the 2012 census (the government estimates it could be higher) — had struggled to win rights and representation from a political class dominated by wealthy families of European descent.Morales, who hails from the large Aymara group, expanded freedoms for indigenous communities and legal protections for their cultures. Since then critics have accused Morales of trying to turn Bolivia into an authoritarian state, also citing corruption scandals and the persecution of political opponents.The live vote counting after national elections on Oct. 20 showed Morales in the lead, but just short of the 10 point lead he needed to win outright.