Bolivian presidential candidate Luis Arce (center) and running mate David Choquehuanca (second right) celebrate during a news conference Monday in La Paz, Bolivia.
Socialists in Bolivia are celebrating a historic victory after a candidate handpicked by their ousted leader, Evo Morales, was on course to win the country's most important presidential election in a generation.
Luis Arce — a former economy minister during the Morales era — is poised to be officially confirmed as the winner after his main rival conceded, even before the official count from Sunday's election was complete.
Hours earlier, Morales, who is in exile in Argentina, announced what he called "an unprecedented historic triumph" and proclaimed, "We recovered our democracy."
The election followed the resignation last year of Morales, Bolivia's first Indigenous president, after nearly 14 years in office. He left under pressure from Bolivia's military after seeking a fourth term in an election later annulled following fraud allegations.
A report by the Organization of American States raising questions about the results fueled mass anti-government protests. Morales and his supporters maintain he was the victim of a right-wing coup.