Bolivia Heads to Run-Off Election After 20 Years of Leftist Rule

Bolivia is set to elect a non-left-wing president for the first time in nearly 20 years, according to official preliminary results from Sunday’s presidential election.

Senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira of the Christian Democratic Party and former president Jorge Quiroga of the Conservative Alianza Libre coalition finished first and second respectively.

Since neither secured enough votes for an outright victory, the election will move to a run-off in October.

Paz Pereira Emerges as Surprise Frontrunner

Paz Pereira’s rise shocked observers after opinion polls had predicted businessman Samuel Doria Medina as the favorite.

His campaign focused on:

• Redistributing government funds to regional entities.
• Fighting corruption under the slogan “capitalism for all, not just a few”.
• Offering tax breaks and credit access to boost the formal economy.
• Reducing import barriers for non-domestic products

Quiroga’s Return to the Political Stage

Jorge Quiroga, who briefly served as interim president from 2001 to 2002, is running on a conservative platform.

Both candidates’ capitalist stances suggest they could open Bolivia further to foreign investment, particularly in its vast lithium reserves, critical for electric vehicle and renewable energy industries.

Possible Foreign Policy Shift

A change in leadership is expected to reshape Bolivia’s foreign relations.

For the past two decades, the ruling Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) strengthened ties with China, Russia, and Iran.

Both Paz Pereira and Quiroga could seek closer ties with the US, where relations have been described as “strained” under socialist governments.

Economic Crisis Fuels Voter Discontent

Bolivia is grappling with its worst economic crisis in years, marked by:

• Fuel and food shortages
• Depleted foreign reserves
• Rising inflation and debt

Many voters see the election as a chance to punish the ruling MAS party. Current president Luis Arce, facing deep unpopularity, did not seek re-election.

Violence and Division in MAS

The MAS party faced not only electoral setbacks but also public hostility.

• Candidate Eduardo del Castillo was booed while voting.
• Former ally Andrónico Rodríguez was attacked with stones at his polling station, where an explosive device was also reported.

The left is deeply divided, with former president Evo Morales still commanding loyal supporters despite being barred from running. Morales, who led Bolivia from 2006–2019, urged his followers to nullify their votes.

Legacy of Morales and MAS

The last election in 2019, during Morales’s attempt at a fourth term, was marred by fraud allegations, protests, and his resignation under military pressure.

Since then, internal rifts have plagued MAS, with Morales and Arce turning from allies to rivals.

Morales now faces legal troubles, including an arrest warrant over alleged sexual misconduct—charges he dismisses as politically motivated.

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