Bolivian President Evo Morales has resigned following mounting pressure from the military and the public after his re-election victory triggered weeks of fraud allegations and deadly protests.
The decision came after a day of fast-moving developments, including an offer from Morales to hold a new election.
But the crisis deepened dramatically when the country’s military chief went on national television to call on him to step down.
“I am sending my resignation letter to the Legislative Assembly of Bolivia,” the 60-year-old socialist leader said.
He added: “I ask you to stop attacking the brothers and sisters, stop burning and attacking.”
Before Morales had even finished his statement, car horns began sounding in La Paz and other cities, and people took to the streets to celebrate, waving Bolivian flags and setting off fireworks.
Morales was the first member of Bolivia’s indigenous population to become president and was in power for 13 years and nine months, the longest term in the country’s history.
But his claim to have won a fourth term last month set off unrest that left three people dead and over 100 injured in clashes between his supporters and opponents.
Earlier in the day, the Organisation of American States said in a preliminary report that it had found a “heap of observed irregularities” in the October 20 election and that a new vote should be held.
Morales agreed to that. But within hours, military chief General Williams Kaliman made it clear that would not be sufficient.
“After analysing the situation of internal conflict, we ask the president to resign, allowing peace to be restored and stability to be maintained for the good of our Bolivia,” Gen Kaliman said.
The leadership crisis escalated in the hours leading up Morales’ resignation.
Two government ministers in charge of mines and hydrocarbons, the Chamber of Deputies president and three other pro-government legislators announced their resignations.
Some said opposition supporters had threatened their families.
In addition, the head of Bolivia’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal stepped down after the OAS findings were released.
Also, the attorney general’s office said it would investigate the tribunal’s judges for alleged fraud.
Morales was first elected in 2006 and went on to preside over a commodities-fed economic boom in South America’s poorest country.
The former leader of a coca growers union, he paved roads, sent Bolivia’s first satellite into space and curbed inflation.
But many who were once excited by his fairy-tale rise have grown wary of his reluctance to leave power.
He ran for a fourth term after refusing to abide by the results of a referendum that upheld term limits for the president.
He was able to run because Bolivia’s constitutional court disallowed such limits.