Overview

• Preliminary tallies place Rodrigo Paz near 32% and Jorge Quiroga around 26%, with the electoral tribunal setting a runoff for October 19.
• The long-dominant MAS collapsed to a very low vote share as barred ex-leader Evo Morales urged null ballots, contributing to unusually high invalid and blank votes.
• Voter anger over soaring inflation, persistent fuel shortages and sharply weakened reserves drove the shift away from the incumbent left.
• Both contenders signal a turn toward market-friendly policies, raising prospects for new foreign investment and a rethinking of lithium development.
• Regional analysts view Bolivia’s result as part of a wider backlash against incumbent leftists ahead of upcoming votes in Chile, Colombia, Peru and Brazil.