BOLIVIA'S NEW PRESIDENT

Evo Morales was sworn in Sunday as Bolivia's first indigenous
president and used his inaugural address to warn the United States
not to try to dominate the region. Morales supports nationalizing his
country's natural gas reserves and decriminalizing the growth of
coca, the raw material for cocaine. His victory was the latest turn
to the political left in Latin America in democratic elections that
the Bush administration should respect. There is no reason why
Washington cannot pursue a constructive political and economic
relationship with most of these left-leaning governments.

Morales, the fourth president of this impoverished nation in three
years, won more than 54 percent of the vote, a historic level of
support that reflects frustration with the governing elite. He enters
office with a mandate to strike a new national identity, both by
focusing on improving life for the poor and raising Bolivia's profile
as a model for revolutionary democracy. He already has used the clout
of Bolivia's gas reserves, the second largest in Latin America, and
his relationship with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez to project Bolivia's
political reach.

These are heady times for the disparate voices who have placed their
hopes for a better life in Morales. The popular expectations he has
created should be seen as an opportunity for the United States and
other Western countries. Morales will need multinational cooperation
to deliver his central promise to raise Bolivian living standards.
Allying himself with Chavez's anti-Americanism will not diversify
Bolovia's economy or broaden its access to credit or trade from
global lenders and leading economies.

The Bush administration should realize Morales has a broad
constituency and look for areas where mutual interests trump the
politics of the moment. Bolivia still will need foreign, private
investment to capitalize on its natural gas, and it needs the
legitimacy of being seen as a partner in controlling the drug trade.

With a half-dozen nations in the region facing elections in the
coming months, Washington also should be cautious not to spark an
anti-Western backlash. The United States has opportunities to become
more engaged in Latin America without throwing its weight around.
Like them or not, Morales and Chavez came to power in democratic elections.