Rodrigo Paz triumphs in Bolivia, ending two decades of leftist rule

Centrist candidate Rodrigo Paz has won Bolivia’s presidential runoff, defeating conservative rival Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga and ending nearly 20 years of leftist governance, as the country grapples with its worst economic crisis in a generation.

According to early results from Bolivia’s electoral tribunal, Paz, a senator from the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), secured 54.5% of the vote, compared with Quiroga’s 45.5%, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The new president is scheduled to take office on November 8. However, his party does not hold a legislative majority, requiring him to forge alliances to govern effectively.

The 58-year-old’s victory marks a historic political shift in a country governed almost continuously since 2006 by the Movement to Socialism (MAS), founded by former President Evo Morales. MAS had previously enjoyed strong support among Bolivia’s Indigenous majority.

Paz’s moderate platform, combining the maintenance of social programs with private sector-led growth, appeared to resonate with left-leaning voters disillusioned by MAS but wary of Quiroga’s proposed austerity measures.

“This election marks a political turning point,” said Glaeldys Gonzalez Calanche, analyst for the Southern Andes at the International Crisis Group. “Bolivia is heading in a new direction.”

Both runoff candidates pledged to strengthen diplomatic ties with Washington — strained since 2009 — and seek US-backed financial support to stabilise Bolivia’s fragile economy. In late September, Paz unveiled plans for a $1.5 billion economic cooperation deal with US officials to ensure fuel supplies. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week that both candidates “want stronger, better relations with the United States,” adding, “This election is a transformative opportunity.”

Voters voiced a strong desire for economic change amid plummeting natural gas exports, inflation at a 40-year high, and fuel shortages. Paz advocated gradual reform, including tax incentives for small businesses and regional fiscal autonomy, while Quiroga proposed sweeping cuts and an IMF-backed bailout.

“We’re going for a new stage of Bolivian democracy in the 21st century,” Paz said two days before the election at his family’s ranch in Tarija. “We’re going to try to build an economy for the people… where the state is no longer going to be the central axis.”

Some voters expressed scepticism about the depth of the break from MAS. “I think he’s a puppet of the outgoing government,” said 21-year-old Esther Miranda from La Paz.

Paz’s running mate, Edman Lara, a former police officer with a strong social media presence, helped broaden the ticket’s appeal to younger and working-class voters.

Economists warn that Paz faces immediate challenges, including securing fuel supplies and navigating a fragmented legislature. Outgoing hydrocarbons minister Alejandro Gallardo said the state energy company is struggling to obtain foreign currency for fuel imports. Paz noted that he was already negotiating deferred payment agreements with suppliers to ensure diesel and gasoline arrive shortly after his inauguration.

He also announced plans to phase out universal fuel subsidies, maintaining targeted support for vulnerable groups while imposing market rates on larger industries. “The market will have to adjust prices, but there are sectors that will have government support until the economy is reactivated,” Paz said.

Labour union COB has previously signalled it will oppose threats to social and economic gains achieved under MAS, highlighting the balancing act ahead for the incoming administration.

Paz’s PDC won 49 of 130 seats in the lower house and 16 of 36 in the Senate, slightly ahead of Quiroga’s coalition, which secured 43 lower house seats and 12 in the Senate.

By Aghakazim Guliyev