Rodrigo Paz Pereira, the political heir and surprise candidate who seeks his place in the history of Bolivia
Rodrigo Paz Pereira knows what the ravages of politics are. Son of the Spanish Carmen Pereira and the former Bolivian president Jaime Paz Zamora (1989-1993), the opposition senator for the Tarija region, south of Bolivia, lived his childhood in several countries because his parents were persecuted during military governments. Paz Pereira is the main revelation of the current electoral process and now seeks its site in the history of the country.
Paz Pereira, 57 and born in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, climbed from the last positions to be the protagonist. He is an economist, has studies in international relations and culminated a master’s degree in political management at the American University, in the United States.
The life of the candidate for the Christian Democratic party was marked by politics even before it was born. Following his political lineage, he has served with extensive experience in the public sector, having been a deputy, councilor, mayor of the city of Tarija, between 2015 and 2020, and is currently a senator by the opposition force Citizen Community, of former president Carlos Mesa.
He married Mari Elena Urquidi, with whom she had four children. “There are those who live on politics and those who do public service. I have competed and defeated the movement to socialism in five elections. I think my generation has the right to apply for the presidency from Tarija and raise an alternative for the country,” he emphasized during an interview with a local medium.
Among its proposals has raised a “50/50 agenda”, which includes redistributing power, reforming justice and deconcentrating the State. Among other aspects, and coinciding with the government programs of other candidates such as Jorge Tuto Quiroga and Samuel Doria Medina, it raises the closure or freezing of deficit public companies.
Paz Pereira, who declares himself as “passionate about my land, football, national food and family”, also proposes what he has called a concept as “popular capitalism” or “talk [dinero] For all ”, which contemplates an accessible credits program, tax facilities to boost the formal economy, and eliminate import barriers to products that Bolivia does not manufacture.
“Better times are coming. Lower tariffs, lower taxes, fed up credit, talk for everyone,” he said at a rally in June. “Capitalism for all, not for a few,” he repeated on different occasions.
Days before the elections, he saw him with his father, with whom he was apparently distanced. The senator came with the former president by councils. Paz Pereira said that he took into account his father’s words, evidencing a renewed connection with his family and political legacy.
“On this way, my father, Jaime Paz Zamora, former president of Bolivia and a man who never left his land, has given me many advice. That is the example that guides me: to love Bolivia and his people, listen to her, look her in the eye, hold her hand. Thank you, father, for reminding me that politics is done with love, respect and commitment to our land,” the candidate published.
