Bolivian president declares candidacy in 2019 race

LA PAZ, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia's President Evo Morales on Thursday declared his candidacy in 2019 presidential elections that could see him win a fourth term.

Morales said he was undecided until the U.S. State Department on Wednesday responded to a Bolivian court ruling that eliminates term limits and paves the way for his reelection, saying it was "deeply concerned" about democracy in Bolivia.

"I was somewhat undecided and now I am decided to be a candidate in 2019. What does the United States have to do with it, to threaten and intimidate?" Morales said at an event in central Cochabamba department.

Morales blamed what he described as open U.S. government interference in his country's internal affairs on its frustration at being unable "to dominate Bolivia to steal and sack" its natural resources.

Since coming to power in 2006, Bolivia's first indigenous president has nationalized the country's energy industry and adopted policies to reinvest revenue in development. Enditem