Right-Wing Victory: Rodrigo Paz Assumes Presidency of Bolivia

For the first time in its history, Bolivians went to a runoff election this Sunday, granting victory to conservative candidate Rodrigo Paz of the Christian Democratic Party over fellow right-wing contender Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, after a fragmented left suffered a resounding defeat in the first round, ending two decades of progressive governance.

Although the official results have yet to be formally certified, with 97.95% of the votes counted, Paz leads with 54.57%, well ahead of Quiroga’s 45.43%.

The election unfolded peacefully, under the watch of 27,900 police officers and the supervision of both the Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union — institutions that have historically opposed Bolivia’s former leftist governments. The OAS, in particular, played a controversial role in the 2019 coup that ousted then-President Evo Morales. Both candidates had previously announced their intentions to maintain close relations with the United States.

While Quiroga advocated for securing a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and privatizing state-owned enterprises — in a move reminiscent of Argentina’s Javier Milei — Paz opposed borrowing from the IMF. Nevertheless, he supports a form of capitalism with moderation, promoting private enterprise but without surrendering full control to foreign institutions.

Amid Bolivia’s severe economic crisis, marked by fuel shortages and a scarcity of foreign currency, it is believed that many left-leaning voters cast their ballots for Paz as a pragmatic choice.

Coming from a prominent political family, Paz is the son of former Bolivian president Jaime Paz Zamora (1989–1993) and great-nephew of Víctor Paz Estenssoro, who served four terms as head of state (1952–1956, 1960–1964, briefly in 1964, and again from 1985–1989).

Born in Spain during his family’s exile, Rodrigo Paz is an economist with a master’s degree in Political Management from the United States. His political career in Bolivia began in 2002: he served as a member of parliament (2002–2010), councilman of Tarija (2010–2015), mayor of Tarija (2015–2020), and most recently as senator.

His running mate, Edman Lara, a former police officer, is a well-known figure who played a pivotal role in spreading the campaign’s anti-corruption message to the country’s grassroots. “We have had direct contact with the people; we’ve listened to what that deep Bolivia wants,” Lara said. Dismissed from the police in 2024 for alleged misconduct, Lara had previously gained public attention for denouncing irregularities within the institution.

Paz’s government plan, known as the Agenda 50/50, promotes a more balanced distribution of Bolivia’s wealth while rejecting reliance on multilateral loans as a means to overcome the crisis.

This new administration officially ends two decades of leadership by the leftist Movement for Socialism (MAS), under the presidencies of Evo Morales and Luis Arce. President-elect Rodrigo Paz is scheduled to take office on November 8.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque / CubaSí Translation Staff