Bolivian President Inaugurates 'Hugo Chavez' Soccer Stadium

Bolivian President Evo Morales inaugurated a new soccer stadium on Wednesday in the central department of Cochabamba, naming the new athletic facility after the late Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chavez.

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During his inauguration speech, the Bolivian leader highlighted the legacy of former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez stating, “He was a leader who possessed so much solidarity, as a President he taught us not be afraid of those who try to dominate us.”

President Morales, an avid soccer fan who was signed to play on squad in the country’s first league, also emphasized the importance of government investment in sports related infrastructure projects.

“Delivering a soccer field is sort of similar to building a hospital because athletic activity is healthy for everyone,” Morales said.

The 15,000-seat stadium was financed and constructed as part of President Morales’s flagship social welfare program, which has carried out over 5,000 small-scale infrastructure projects, including the construction of medical clinics, schools and gymnasiums.

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According to a popular opinion survey released Thursday by polling agency Ipsos, President Morales currently holds an average approval rating of 75 percent in the cities of La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and El Alto.

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