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Bolivia is experiencing a historic moment. Senator Rodrigo Paz, from the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), was elected president this Sunday (19), after winning the second round of elections with 54.5% of the votes, when 91.2% of the ballot boxes had already been counted. The dispute marked the first time in the country’s history that a presidential election was decided in a second round.
Paz was elected in a historic election this Sunday/Photo: Reproduction
Paz defeated former president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, also on the right, consolidating a conservative turn after two decades of left-wing hegemony, led by the Movement to Socialism (MAS) and Evo Morales.
Victory of the “underdog”
Considered the underdog of the first round, Rodrigo Paz grew in the last weeks of the campaign with a speech of moderation and dialogue, winning over voters dissatisfied with political radicalism. Son of former president Jaime Paz Zamora, who governed the country between 1989 and 1993, the new president was born in exile of his parents during the Bolivian military regime.
During the campaign, Paz presented himself as an alternative to the polarization that has marked Bolivian politics in recent decades. In his speeches, he defended a vision of “capitalism for all”, promising to stimulate the productive sector without giving up social policies aimed at the most vulnerable populations.
Change of political era
The election represents the end of a cycle that began in 2006, with the rise of Evo Morales and the MAS, which dominated Bolivian politics for almost 20 years. Under the banner of socialism and indigenism, the party promoted profound transformations in the country, but in recent years it has faced economic crises, corruption scandals and popular protests.
This Sunday’s result is seen by analysts as a turning point in the recent history of Bolivia, which is now beginning a new political phase — marked by the search for balance between economic development and institutional stability.
Dialogue with Brazil
Even representing a shift to the right, Paz indicated during the campaign that he intends to maintain constructive diplomatic relations with governments from different political spectrums in South America. He mentioned the desire to dialogue with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on topics such as energy integration and regional trade.
With the victory, Rodrigo Paz becomes the first Bolivian president elected in a second round and takes on the challenge of rebuilding internal trust and repositioning the country on the South American scene.
