Bolivia's president-elect to kick off first int'l trip before taking office

Bolivia's President-elect Evo Morales will travel to Cuba on Friday in his first overseas trip after winning the election victory 10 days ago, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Morales will also visit Spain, France, South Africa and Brazil before his Jan. 22 inauguration, said the spokesman, according to reports from the Bolivian capital of La Paz.

Morales will meet Cuban President Fidel Castro during his stay in Havana, and will then return home to attend a celebration in his hometown of Orinoca on New Year's Day.

After that, the president-elect will travel to Europe on Jan. 3 to visit France and Spain before continuing on to South Africa, where he is to meet with former president Nelson Mandela.

On Jan. 13, Morales will visit Brazil and meet with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bolivia's electoral court announced on Dec. 21 that Morales has won the presidential election, making him the first indigenous president in the Andean country.

Source: Xinhua