Luis Arce was sworn in as president of Bolivia on Sunday.

Arce said: "I reaffirm my commitment to working in unity and listening to the Bolivian people. We are going to rebuild the homeland we love. We will restore stability and social economic certainty to each and every Bolivian. We are a strong people, we will move on."

Arce also promised to revive links with neighbouring countries. Bolivia has been hit by one of the world’s worst Covid-19 outbreaks — The country’s death rate per million people is currently the fifth highest in the world — and its economy has been hugely affected.

In his previous role as economy minister, Arce favoured nationalising strategic sectors such as hydrocarbons and energy and pushed domestic production, which helped Bolivia grow at one of the fastest rates in Latin America.

Former president Evo Morales is expected to return to Bolivia today, from Argentina, where he has been in exile since the military coup in November 2019.