COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA, June 6 (PL).— Bolivian President Evo Morales described as "historic" the graduation of the first 1,000 students who completed the "I can do it!" literacy campaign, advised and equipped by Cuba.

In his speech at the graduation ceremony in this central Bolivian city, Morales expressed his satisfaction at the implementation of one of his electoral campaign promises, and noted that he had said early on that he would be the president to rid the country of illiteracy.

He sent greetings to teachers in celebration of Teachers Day, and called on them to join the literacy campaign as facilitators, while emphasizing the work being carried out on a mass scale by rural educators.

The Bolivian president made extensive remarks on the ignorance and historical exclusion of indigenous people, who are beginning to free themselves through literacy, for which he expressed thanks to the experiences transmitted by Cuba.

The graduates learned how to read and write during the campaign’s pilot stage. Currently in its mass-scale stage, the campaign now covers more than 200,000 citizens who – as Morales pointed out – will soon graduate.

After calling on graduates, trade unions and social organizations to foster the incorporation of all illiterate individuals into the learning program, the president urged the graduates to not be content with knowing how to read and write, and to instead keep studying and improving their knowledge.

He said that via that channel, campesinos and the poor can learn a profession, and that studies are underway on a long-distance learning program for that purpose.