Bolivia\’s Run-Off: Two Right-Wing Candidates Clash for Presidency, Projection
Bolivia Moves Toward Runoff, Ending Two Decades of Leftist Rule
Bolivia’s first round of presidential elections on Sunday produced a clear result that confirms the country is on the brink of a historic shift. Two right‑wing candidates topped the poll, breaking a 20‑year reign of leftist politics and signaling a dramatic reversal of the nation’s political landscape.
Key Outcomes
- Rodrigo Paz – The center‑right senator emerged as the surprise frontrunner, capturing over 31 % of the vote in separate provisional counts by Ipsos and Captura.
- Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga – The former right‑wing president followed in second place with around 27 % of the vote.
- Samuel Doria Medina – The millionaire businessman trailed behind in third with 19.5‑20.2 % of the vote, running far ahead of the main left‑wing contender, Senate president Andronico Rodríguez.
Voter Sentiment
The election was dominated by Bolivia’s worst economic crisis in a generation, which saw voters desert the ruling socialists in droves. Annual inflation hit almost 25 % in July as the country runs critically short of fuel and dollars, the currency in which most Bolivians keep their savings.
Breaking the Socialist Legacy
The vote brings the curtain down on 20 years of socialist rule, which began in 2005 when Evo Morales, an Indigenous coca farmer, was elected president on a radical anti‑capitalist platform. “The left has done us a lot of harm. I want change for the country,” Miriam Escobar, a 60‑year‑old pensioner, told AFP after voting in La Paz.
The Right‑Wing Vision
- Quiroga’s Platform – He vows to slash public spending, open the country to foreign investment and strengthen ties with the United States, which were downgraded under the combative Morales.
- Paz’s Promise – He campaigned on a populist programme of fighting corruption, cutting taxes and delivering “capitalism for all.”
“Shock Therapy” Appeal
Many Bolivians see the economic recovery strategies of Argentine reformer Javier Milei as a model for restoring stability. “What people are looking for now, beyond a shift from left to right, is a return to stability,” said political scientist Daniela Osorio Michel.
Historical Context
Morales, who was barred from running for a fourth term, has cast a long shadow over the campaign. He called on his rural Indigenous supporters to spoil their ballots in protest of his exclusion, threatening mass protests if the right takes power. The country enjoyed more than a decade of strong growth and Indigenous upliftment under Morales, who nationalized the gas sector and invested proceeds into social programs that halved extreme poverty. However, underinvestment in exploration and the rise of gas revenues from $6.1 billion in 2013 to $1.6 billion last year have weakened the economy, leaving Bolivia scrambling for foreign exchange to import essential goods.
