Bolivia Elects Rodrigo Paz Pereira as President, Signaling a Shift to the Right

Bolivia has elected centrist senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira as its new president, following a runoff election on Sunday that marked a significant shift in the country's political landscape after two decades of leftist dominance. Paz Pereira, a member of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), defeated former president Jorge Tuto Quiroga of the more conservative alliance by nearly ten percentage points. In a historic runoff for Bolivian democracy, Paz Pereira secured 54.6% of the valid votes compared to Quiroga's 45.4%, according to preliminary electoral results released by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. The president-elect, who is the son of former president Jaime Paz Zamora, faces a nation in crisis as it transitions away from nearly 20 years of leftist leadership marked by economic recession, fuel shortages, and a lack of dollar liquidity. Paz Pereira's vice president will be Edmand Lara, a former police officer, who celebrated their victory from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the country's wealthiest city. In his first speech as president-elect, delivered shortly after the election results were announced, Paz Pereira expressed gratitude to his supporters and promised a government focused on unity starting November 8, when he will officially take office. The foundation of our commitment with Bolivia are God, family, and the homeland, he stated, underlining his adherence to traditional values enshrined in his campaign slogan, "capitalism for all." The soon-to-be president distanced himself from the previous administrations of the Movement for Socialism (MAS) led by Evo Morales and the current president Luis Arce, attributing the nation’s critical economic situation to the excessive ideological approach of the left-wing party. He remarked, "Bolivians know that ideology does not put food on the table; what provides is the right to work and private property." Paz Pereira also signaled a willingness to recalibrate relations with the United States, stating, "Bolivia is gradually regaining its international footing," while criticizing the MAS years for losing geopolitical and geoeconomic positioning. His gesture towards the U.S. was quickly answered by the Trump administration, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulating the president-elect and endorsing a transformative opportunity for bilateral relations. Argentinian President Javier Milei, a close Trump ally in South America, was among the first to extend his congratulations to Paz. After the announcement, Tuto Quiroga and his running mate, businessman Juan Pablo Velasco, also offered their congratulations, despite protests from Quiroga’s supporters, which led to isolated demonstrations in cities like Cochabamba and Oruro. Paz Lara's victory came as a surprise to many polling agencies, which had predicted a loss for him, much like in the first round of the elections held in August. Political analyst Oscar Gracia noted that the PDC's success is a result of a more strategic political approach compared to the Libre alliance. While Quiroga focused on attracting urban middle-class voters, Paz aimed to gain support from popular classes in urban areas and rural voters traditionally aligned with MAS. In a broader sense, Gracia underscores that the right's triumph in Bolivia reflects the emergence of a moderate multiparty system, breaking the previously established model dominated by MAS for almost two decades. Although MAS remains the party with the most seats in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, the PDC will need to negotiate with the Unidad Alliance and Libre to secure the necessary two-thirds majority for passing legislation and making strategic appointments. Nevertheless, Gracia cautions that potential alliances on the right will have to navigate the ongoing political polarization within Bolivian society, which may challenge parliamentary and social governance. The PDC's government program, named "Agenda 5050: Politics for the Service of the People," proposes that the central government manage only 50% of the national budget, leaving the other half to be handled by subnational governments, departments, municipalities, and universities. A key economic proposal includes freezing the activities of deficit-running public companies and reallocating saved resources to local governments. One of the most urgent tasks for the new administration will be to import larger volumes of fuel from the U.S. and other countries to stabilize the supply of gasoline and diesel, which has been irregular over the past year, hampering the private sector's production capacity. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2