Evo Morales, the leftist claiming victory in Bolivia's presidential race, will become the country's first indigenous president since independence from Spain according to exit polls.
Initial results showed Mr Morales with a crushing victory over seven opponents that would make him the first Indian president in the 180-year history of independent Bolivia and solidify a continental shift to the political left.
Winner of the Bolivian presidential election, Evo Morales, greets supporters
With almost 25 per cent of the official votes counted, Mr Morales had 46.7 per cent of the vote, while conservative rival Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga had 36.2 per cent, according to the National Electoral Court.
Mr Quiroga has conceded defeat. Mr Morales was congratulated by Venezuela's self-proclaimed revolutionary leader Hugo Chavez and by the more centrist socialist president of Chile, Ricardo Lagos.
There was no congratulatory call from the US. Mr Morales said he was not expecting one.
US State Department spokeswoman, Jan Edmondson, later congratulated the president-elect on his undisputed victory. She said the US has had good relations with Bolivia in the past and "we're prepared to work to build the same relationship with the next government."
AP