National Geographic Society

Last night before an overflow crowd at American University in Washington D.C., Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia addressed a packed house of academics, students, policy makers and diplomats. Morales, subject of the film Cocalero that was featured in the 2007 All Roads Film Festival, was both pensive and visionary in his 75 minute speech where he reflected upon his amazing journey to Bolivia's highest office and outlined his ideas for the future. Amidst strained diplomatic relations with the U.S., it must have been encouraging for him to see the scores of students that lined across campus in anticipation to hear his address. Due to security reasons, more were turned away than were let in to see the speech, whether in the 300 seat auditorium or the overflow room that transmitted a live video feed.