La Paz: Centrist senator Rodrigo Paz has been elected Bolivia’s next president, defeating conservative rival Jorge ‘Tuto’ Quiroga in Sunday’s runoff vote.
His victory marks the end of almost two decades of leftist rule and comes amid the country’s worst economic downturn in a generation. According to early results released by Bolivia’s electoral tribunal, Paz of the Christian Democratic Party secured 54.5 percent of the vote against Quiroga’s 45.5 percent.
The new president will take office on November 8. However, his party fell short of a legislative majority, meaning he will need to form alliances to pass key reforms. “We must open Bolivia to the world,” Paz told supporters during his victory speech in La Paz, moments after Quiroga conceded.
The 58-year-old senator’s win represents a political shift for a nation governed since 2006 by the Movement to Socialism (MAS), the party founded by former president Evo Morales. MAS once enjoyed support from Bolivia’s Indigenous majority but saw its popularity collapse this year due to rising inflation, fuel shortages, and falling gas exports.
Paz campaigned on a moderate platform, promising to preserve essential social programs while encouraging private-sector investment to revive the economy. His message appealed to voters seeking change without the austerity proposed by Quiroga. Paz also continues a family legacy as he is the third member of his family to serve as Bolivia’s president.
Both candidates pledged to mend ties with the United States, which have been strained since 2009, and to seek foreign support to stabilize the economy. Late last month, Paz announced plans for a $1.5 billion economic cooperation deal with US officials to secure fuel supplies.
Bolivia’s fragile economy dominated the campaign. Once a major gas exporter, the country is now facing its steepest inflation in 40 years, along with widespread fuel scarcity. Paz has promised to reform the state-led economic model gradually, offering tax incentives for small businesses and granting more fiscal autonomy to regional governments. Quiroga, by contrast, had proposed sweeping spending cuts and an IMF-backed rescue plan.
The state oil company is struggling to obtain foreign currency for fuel imports, and the government has already begun negotiating deferred payment deals with suppliers. Paz said he plans to gradually phase out universal fuel subsidies, directing support instead to low-income groups while larger industries pay market prices.
