Thousands crowded the streets of Bolivia, waving flags and cheering after President Evo Morales announced his resignation.

"This is my only flag," a young man wearing a mask and white helmet shouted as he waved Bolivia's red, yellow and green flag on the streets of the capital La Paz. Nearby, a group of people are lowering "whipala", a multicolored checkered flag representing the indigenous cultures.

For Morales, the first indigenous democratically elected leader in Bolivia, the flag symbolizes his long and controversial period of power, nearly 14 years.

"Great, we're delighted," said Reggina Sojas, a 61-year-old trader.

President Morales on November 10 announced his resignation in a televised address, after the military and police announced their withdrawal of support for him and sided with the opposition. Morales said he resigned "for the good of the country" but added that "dark forces have destroyed national democracy", referring to the opponents he accused of plotting a coup.

Police have removed the "whipala" flag from large government buildings, including the National Assembly, the Election Court and the Police Command. Not long ago, Luis Fernando Camacho, the right-wing civilian leader who headed the revolt after Mr. Morales was re-elected for a fourth term in October, kept his promise to enter the palace of the former government with a letter of resignation symbolizing Morales in one hand and holding a Bible in the other.

"This is a complete victory for us. We are extremely happy," said Ricardo Revilla, 37, a bank employee.

In the corner of the nearby Murillo square, riot police celebrate with the people, although suppressing student protests a few days ago.

On the other end of the country, in the city of Santa Cruz, eastern Bolivia, many people also flocked to the streets to celebrate, while the police knelt in front of the cathedral.

In Sucre, a group of people gathered on the central plaza of Plaza de Armas, where the republic of Bolivia was founded in 1825, and sang the national anthem. "We would rather die than live as slaves," the song said.

Morales is the longest serving leader in Latin America. He won his first election with a campaign promising a government focused on the needs of the poor. However, he was also accused of using the system to gain power.

Morales resigned after protests over weeks to protest his re-election, despite promising to hold a vote to replace the result of alleged fraud. Clashes between opposition and pro-government groups have left at least three people dead and hundreds injured.

"The coup took place," said Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, who accompanied Morales in his resignation speech. It is not clear who will take over the presidency in place of Morales because all of the officials capable of succeeding him have resigned, including Mr. Linera.

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the embassy was ready to grant Morales asylum if he requested it. However, Morales insists he has no plans to leave the country.

Bolivia, located in the continent of central South America, the 28th largest in the world with an area of over one million km, is one of the poorest countries in South America because of high corruption and the consequences of colonization. Under Morales, the country's economy of more than 10 million people averaged 5% annually. In 2006, Morales nationalized the oil industry, using its money to invest in infrastructure and reduce poverty. However, his support has declined in recent years, accusing Morales of favoring CAMC, a Chinese construction conglomerate in Bolivia, that his ex-girlfriend held an important position. Moarales denied the allegations.