From Stronghold Guarded By Backers, Bolivia Ex-leader Plots Return

Indigenous farmers loyal to former president Evo Morales, holding wooden spears, gather in his central Bolivian stronghold of Lauca Ene to support and defend him (Credit: AFP)

As dusk falls, some 500 Indigenous people stand in formation in Lauca Ene, a hamlet in central Bolivia, and raise their spears to the cry of "Long live Evo Morales!"

The former Bolivian president is hugely popular in this coca-growing region and maintains an iron grip -- no one enters Lauca Ene without his approval.