Rodrigo Paz greets his supporters following early tallies indicating his lead in Bolivia’s presidential runoff election in La Paz on Sunday.
Natacha Pisarenko/AP
LA PAZ, Bolivia – Rodrigo Paz, a centrist senator who had remained relatively unknown on the national stage until recently, emerged victorious in Bolivia’s presidential runoff election on Sunday, according to preliminary counts. His win reflects widespread voter dissatisfaction with the country’s ongoing economic turmoil and frustration after two decades under the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party’s governance.
Óscar Hassenteufel, head of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, described Paz’s lead as “irreversible,” signaling a decisive shift in Bolivia’s political landscape. Early results showed Paz securing 54% of the vote, outpacing his opponent, former right-wing President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, who garnered 45%.
Celebrating his apparent triumph, Paz appeared before a jubilant crowd in a hotel ballroom in La Paz, accompanied by his wife, María Helena Urquidi, and their four grown children. Supporters erupted in cheers, waving phones and chanting his name.
“Bolivia can now look forward to a government focused on delivering real solutions,” Paz declared. “The nation is ready for renewal and progress.”
Shortly after the announcement, Quiroga conceded defeat in a solemn address. “I have congratulated Rodrigo Paz,” he said, despite facing boos and accusations of electoral fraud from some attendees. He urged the public to remain calm, warning that rejecting the results would only deepen the country’s challenges.
“We must act responsibly to avoid worsening the hardships faced by our people,” Quiroga emphasized. “A mature approach is essential at this moment.”
Paz and his running mate, former police captain Edman Lara, gained significant support among working-class and rural voters disillusioned by MAS’s unchecked spending but hesitant to back Quiroga’s sharp departure from social welfare policies.
Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga embraces his running mate Juan Pablo Velasco after early results showed them behind in the presidential runoff in La Paz.
Juan Karita/AP
Quiroga’s endorsement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and its austerity measures, reminiscent of the harsh economic reforms Bolivia endured in the 1990s, alienated moderate voters wary of such drastic shifts.
Paz’s triumph ushers Bolivia, a nation of 12 million, onto an uncertain trajectory as he aims to implement significant reforms for the first time since Evo Morales, MAS’s founder and Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, was elected in 2005.
Despite holding a slim majority in Congress through his Christian Democratic Party, Paz will need to negotiate and build consensus to advance his ambitious agenda.
His plans include dismantling Bolivia’s fixed exchange rate, gradually removing fuel subsidies, and scaling back extensive public investments-effectively reshaping the economic framework MAS established over two decades. However, Paz promises to preserve social benefits and adopt a cautious approach to market reforms to prevent triggering a recession or inflation surge, which historically have sparked public unrest, as seen when Morales’s 2011 attempt to cut fuel subsidies was quickly reversed amid nationwide protests.
Facing a fractured economy
Supporters of Paz flooded the streets of La Paz with celebrations, igniting fireworks and honking horns. At the hotel where Paz spoke, crowds chanted slogans like “United people will never be defeated!”
“We feel triumphant,” said Roger Carrillo, a volunteer for Paz’s campaign, from eastern Bolivia where he led a celebratory convoy. “There’s much work ahead, but for now, we savor this victory.”
Yet, beneath the jubilation lies a daunting economic reality. Since 2023, Bolivia has grappled with a severe shortage of U.S. dollars, restricting citizens’ access to their savings and stalling imports. Inflation surged to 23% year-over-year last month-the highest since 1991. Fuel shortages have become commonplace, with drivers enduring long waits to refuel.
To stabilize the situation, Paz must quickly rebuild Bolivia’s depleted foreign currency reserves and resume fuel imports.
Rejecting IMF assistance, Paz vows to secure funds by combating corruption, curbing wasteful expenditures, and restoring confidence in the national currency to encourage Bolivians to deposit their dollar savings into banks rather than hoarding cash at home.
However, his reluctance to implement stringent fiscal austerity, coupled with promises of financial aid to cushion subsidy cuts, has drawn skepticism.
“His plans sound vague, seemingly designed to appease voters, but they don’t add up financially,” said Rodrigo Tribeño, 48, who supported Quiroga. “We needed genuine change.”
A seasoned outsider emerges
Rodrigo Paz, son of former President Jaime Paz Zamora (1989-1993), has over 20 years of political experience as a legislator and mayor. Yet, he entered this election as a relative unknown, rising unexpectedly from the lower ranks to lead the August vote.
His party claimed victory in six of Bolivia’s nine departments, including the Andean highlands and the coca-growing region of Cochabamba, winning over key Indigenous Aymara and working-class voters who once formed Morales’s core support.
Supporters of Rodrigo Paz celebrate after preliminary results showed him leading in the presidential runoff election in La Paz.
Ivan Valencia/AP
Paz’s campaign slogan, “capitalism for all,” resonated with many business owners and entrepreneurs who prospered during Morales’s tenure but grew frustrated with high taxes and regulatory burdens.
In contrast, Quiroga’s support was concentrated in the affluent eastern lowlands of Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s agricultural powerhouse.
“There’s a distinct class divide,” explained political analyst Verónica Rocha. “Quiroga represents long-standing political and economic elites-business leaders and agro-industrialists-while Paz appeals to a different demographic.”
A former cop disrupts the political scene
The election took an unexpected turn when Paz selected Edman Lara, a young former police officer with no prior political background, as his running mate. Lara gained popularity on social media after being dismissed from the police force for exposing corruption through viral videos.
After losing his job, Lara supported himself by selling secondhand clothes and worked as a lawyer assisting citizens in reporting corruption-an inspiring narrative for many former MAS voters.
Lara’s bold populist promises, including universal income for women and increased pensions for retirees, often forced Paz to moderate the campaign’s tone, creating some friction. Yet, many Bolivians viewed Lara’s passionate style as genuine compared to the polished, scripted demeanor of other candidates.
Following the election, Lara adopted a conciliatory message. “It’s time for unity and reconciliation,” he told supporters. “Political divisions must end.”
Several voters expressed that they cast their ballots more for Lara than for Paz. “Lara acts more like a president than Paz does,” said Wendy Cornejo, 28, a former Morales supporter selling snacks in La Paz. “Many believe Lara will be the one truly leading the country.”
