The Bolivians not only decided through the vote to bury the hegemony of the leftist movement to socialism (more) over two decades, but to give a chance to a centrist that surveys did not assign great possibilities. Scrutinized 90% the electoral roll, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, 57of the Christian Democratic Party, obtained 32% of the votes. Will compete for the presidency in the second turn of October 19 with The rightist Jorge “Tuto” Quirogawho was six points behind the true political surprise of Sunday. The businessman Samuel Doria Medina, one of the favorites in the polls, was in third place, with 19% of the accessions.
The predominance of the most concludes in a pitiful way. Eduardo del Castillo, the dolphin of the current president Luis Arce, reaped 3.2% of the accessions. Andrónico Rodríguez, the current authority of the Senate that separated from the ruling party months ago, reached only the eight points. The disputes between Arce and Morales for the party control precipitated the internal debacle of that party. Analysts argue that this is one of the reasons why many traditional voters of the MAS decided to give Paz Pereira the opportunity. Son of former President Jaime Paz Zamorathe winner of the first turn He was born in Santiago de Compostela in 1967, When his father was in exile. He has been mayor of Tarija, and National Senator by Citizen Community, an alliance led by former president Carlos Mesa. His formula partner is the former police officer Edman Lara, especially known in social networks for his revelations of several cases of alleged corruption in the police institution. “People valued our credibility and the struggle we made from below. We closed the doors but the people have spoken,” said the former one.
“Capitalism for all”it has been one of the candidate’s slogans to take the reins of the Executive. During the electoral campaign it was contrary to an agreement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to solve economic problems. “I think my generation has the right to raise an alternative for the country,” he said days ago. When passing to the second turn, Paz Pereira seems to be the bearer of a message from the society that seeks An intermediate path between the most traditional right that Quiroga embodies. Other observers point out that the candidate’s moderation is conjunctural. “We are the ones who did not appear in the polls. This is everyone’s project and for all Bolivians. We want to promote reconciliation. We need to generate governance, “he said in his first intervention after the elections.”Nothing has been won here. You have to fight the second part honest, “he said.
“What has happened is unpublished. A country like ours does something that has reverberations throughout the world. We have taken a gigantic step towards a better tomorrow. We turn a 20 -year page“said” Tuto “, a provisional ex -president after the death of Hugo Bánzer, in 2002. He has been an opposition pertinaz to the MAS. The need to gather the entire conservative spectrum behind him to realize his yearning to return to the burned palace, has found the first difficulty on Sunday night. Doria Medina decided to support Paz Pereira.
The Peace Party Pereira will have a slight majority in Congress. The other right and center forces will distribute a good part of the seats. Negotiations between them are feasible. The great novelty regarding what happened since 2006 is that The most has been with just a handful of deputies when he used to control the springs of the legislature.
An announced fall
The collapse of the MAS has not surprised anyone. Not only the internal bids that ended with morals outside the party and without legal possibilities to compete for the presidency, they put an end to a cycle that has had virtuous moments such as Poverty reduction from 60% to 36% and controversial situations. Bolivia has lost 14% of forests Between 1976 and 2021. Deforestation accelerated with morals in power. Extensive industrial agriculture is one of the reasons for deforestation that affected natural reserves and areas inhabited by indigenous communities. The repeated invocations to Mother Earth of “The Evo” were given by Bruces with this deterioration process.
The agony of the majority party has also been the Dand an extractive economic model that was based on the gas rental. Bolivia accumulates a 25% inflation in the last year, the highest since 2008. The shortage of fuel, food and medicine constituted a source of social discomfort. In the long lines the anger of the voters was cooking. The crisis has hit the productive fabric and deepened the unpopularity of the Arce government.
Morales had urged to vote null after having lost partisan control and found the judicial refusal to participate in the contest. 17.5% of people in conditions of suffering complied with their calla proof that it keeps part of its predicament. “Your future is a hot hammock in Cuba -If escapes before we change government- or a cold cell in The Hague, “Quiroga said with Sneak. From the MAS, initiated a decade ago, Morales showed that he is not yet a marginal character of the Bolivian political scene. president.
