Members of the AU community packed into Ward Circle Building Room 1 Tuesday evening to hear Bolivian President Evo Morales speak about the changes his government made in Bolivia and the need for better relations between Bolivia and the United States.
Morales' speech, which was delivered in Spanish but simultaneously translated into English, was his first public address in Washington, D.C. He also spoke to the filled room about his rise to power and becoming the first indigenous president.
According to Morales, many in the indigenous population did not believe he could become president, and many in the opposition said the presidency was not his place.
"They told us 'You have no right to be involved in politics,'" he said. "'Your political tools are the machete and your farming tools.'"
According to Kevin Healy, a professorial lecturer at George Washington University, the Morales' win has had a positive impact on the indigenous peoples of Bolivia.
"They're having more participation in the state than they had before," he said. "It's a very politically empowering experience for the indigenous people. He looks like them. He talks like them. He comes from the same background as them."
The changes he has instituted, such as giving a larger percentage of revenue from the nation's hydrocarbon fields to the government, have benefited the country, Morales said. He also said education and welfare programs are helping Bolivians.
"When you think about social issues, we intend to work with the most sensitive sectors of society, such as the children and the elderly," he said.
Morales said some human rights problems existed within his country, including violence in the department of Pando, in northern Bolivia.
Students lined up to get seats more than an hour before the start of the speech. Most were unable to get seats, although some were able to watch the speech live in a room across the hall in Ward 2.
According to an email sent by William LeoGrande, the dean of the School of Public Affairs, Morales was in Washington to attend a meeting of the Organization of American States and contacted the Washington Office on Latin America about organizing a public event, which was held at AU because of the university's ties to WOLA.
LeoGrande also said at the start of the event that AU's international focus made it a good location for the speech.
"We are a campus that cares deeply about international cooperation, especially in the Americas," he said.
LeoGrande also said in the e-mail that Morales hopes to improve diplomatic relations between Bolivia and the U.S., which he said had been strained under the administration of President George W. Bush.
"On several occasions since Senator Obama's election, Morales has expressed a desire to seek improved relations with Washington," LeoGrande said in the email.
Morales spoke directly to the AU community about relations between the two countries during his speech.
"I know that the people of the United States want to cooperate with Bolivia," Morales said. "You university professors and students: help us improve our relations."
Despite tensions, the U.S. still plays a vital role in Bolivia's future, Morales said.
"Bolivia needs the United States, and perhaps the time will come when the United States needs Bolivia," he said.
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