Bolivian president declared fit for normal activities after knee injury

After taking away his crutches and removing the splint from his left leg, the board of specialist doctors for Bolivian President Evo Morales said Thursday the leader can return to "normal activities."

"He can walk, go to the Palace (of Government), travel, and carry out his daily activities," doctor Nils Calderon said during a news conference in La Paz when asked about Morales' recovery after undergoing an operation on his left knee.

President Morales' operation took place on June 8 at the Los Olivos clinic in the central city of Cochabamba. During surgery, doctors reconstructed the anterior and posterior cruciate ligament of his left knee after Morales suffered an injury during a soccer match.

To speed up his recovery, doctors explained that Morales had to rest and use a splint and crutches. They also specified after the operation that the president would not be able to participate in sporting activities for several months.

"His rehabilitation is going very well and for that reason he can now carry out everyday activities," said Calderon, who along with his colleague Jorge Terrazas, visited the president at his official residence in order to evaluate his recovery.

Despite his good progress, the doctors confirmed that it would still be some time before the president could return to sports, mainly soccer.

"We still maintain that it will take 10 months to a year but probably due to his speedy recovery, we could reduce the time in the future. However, we need to pay close attention to the recovery process," said Calderon. Enditem