The election held on Sunday (17) marked the end of the hegemony of almost two decades of the left in power in Bolivia. For the first time in the country’s recent history, two right -wing candidates will compete in the second presidential round. Senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira, from the Centro-Right Democratic Party (PDC), led the first round of the vote with 32.1%, and former President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, from the right-wing alliance for freedom and democracy, obtained 26.8%. The second round of elections is scheduled to take place on October 19th.
The result ended the domain of the movement to socialism (but), led by Evo Morales and current President Luis Arce. The economic crisis and the shortage of currency undermined popular support to the left government.
Who is Rodrigo Paz
Rodrigo Paz, 57, was the highlight of the vote. No research that was conducted in the country provided for its arrival in the second round, but the center-right senator managed to mobilize voters around his proposal for “capitalism for all.” Son of former president and former vice Jaime Paz Zamora, Rodrigo Paz Pereira was born on September 22, 1967, in Spain, where his family lived exiled during military dictatorships. He spent part of his childhood in the European country and, upon returning to Bolivia, built his political trajectory in the province of Tarija, where he held the positions of deputy, mayor and senator.
His presidential campaign bet on a more moderate speech, proximity to the ordinary citizen. The proposal defended by peace for a future government includes budget decentralization, tax reduction, affordable credits and reforms in the judiciary.
Who is Jorge Quiroga
Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, 65, is an experienced name of Bolivian politics. He was vice president during the second government of Hugo Banzer and assumed the presidency between 2001 and 2002 after Banzer’s resignation for health reasons. Industrial engineer graduated from the University of Texas, Quiroga built his political career in the Nationalist Democratic Action Party (DNA).
Recognized for his critical posture to Left Latin America, Quiroga maintains bonds with opposing leaders to Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela, Miguel Díaz-Canel, Cuba, and Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua. His presidential campaign sought to combine the experience of those who have already ruled Bolivia with the promise of stabilizing public accounts and modernizing the country.
In the speech after Sunday’s result, Quiroga stated that “a long night of two decades ended,” celebrating the end of the socialist dominance of MAS. Quiroga advocates a radical change in the Bolivian government, which will be, according to him, based on tax discipline, state digitization, commercial opening and large cuts in public spending. In an interview with CNNthe former president stated that he was “a man of freedom” and “free trade.” Regarding the tax adjustments he intends to make, Quiroga adopted the tone of Javier Milei, Argentina, saying that he would apply the “motorcycle, machete, scissors and everything he finds” to cut expenses.
