Particle.news
Download on the App Store
13 ARTICLES
·
yesterday

Bolivia’s Election Heads to Runoff After Centrist Paz Tops First Round

Rodrigo Paz’s surprise lead over Jorge Quiroga underscores public rejection of MAS, reflecting voter frustration over soaring inflation coupled with fuel shortages.

Vue aérienne montrant un panneau d'affichage faisant la promotion de l'élection présidentielle, à La Paz le 16 août 2025, à la veille des élections générales.
Image
Image
Des policiers boliviens gardent un bâtiment du Tribunal suprême électoral (TSE) avant l'élection présidentielle, à La Paz le 16 août 2025.

Overview

  • With over 91% of ballots counted, centrist Senator Rodrigo Paz secured 32.8% and former president Jorge Quiroga 26.4%, triggering an October 19 runoff under electoral thresholds.
  • Samuel Doria Medina, long viewed as a frontrunner, finished third and has announced he will support Paz in the second round.
  • The ruling Movement Toward Socialism has been weakened by a rift between Evo Morales and Luis Arce and Morales’s exclusion from the ballot.
  • Bolivians cited record inflation near 25% and acute shortages of dollars and gasoline as primary drivers of their voting decisions.
  • The October runoff will pit Paz’s moderate economic stabilization plan against Quiroga’s conservative promise of sweeping reforms to the Morales-era state model.