Bolivia heads to runoff after centrist lead

Early results push Bolivia toward a presidential runoff as a centrist candidate leads right wing rivals.

Bolivia heads to runoff after centrist lead

With more than 91% of ballots counted, Rodrigo Paz had 32.8% and Jorge Quiroga 26.4%. A runoff will be held on October 19, the first since Bolivia returned to democracy in 1982. Eduardo del Castillo, the official MAS candidate, finished sixth with 3.2% while Andrónico Rodríguez, the other leftist hopeful, drew 8%. The result marks a major shift after two decades of leftist governance under MAS.

Paz, a former mayor who positions himself as a moderate, has called for changes to the economic model and warned against a rapid shift to austerity. Quiroga, a former president, ran on a more market friendly platform and promised a stronger role for private investment. The MAS party faces a blow to its dominance as public dissatisfaction with inflation, fuel shortages, and a fragile economy has cooled support for continued leftist rule.

The outcome signals a demand for change without an embracing of hard right ideologies.Voters appear tired of a single party holding power for so long and are testing a centrist alternative. Analysts see the race as a test of whether a pragmatic agenda can appeal to Bolivians worried about inflation and jobs while avoiding sharp economic shocks.

Behind the ballot, MAS faces internal fractures and a waning public mood toward its brand of populist economics. Paz’s challenge will be to craft credible reforms that reassure markets and preserve social gains, without alienating MAS supporters or dragging the country into protracted political confrontation. The international angle matters too as Bolivia weighs imports, currency stability, and relations with major powers as it pivots from a decade of strong state direction toward a more cautious economic footing.

Highlights

The coming campaign will reveal whether Bolivians want steady reform or a sharper political pivot.