Overview

• Rodrigo Paz won 32% of the vote to Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga’s just over 26%, sending the race to a second round.
• Two candidates from the long-ruling MAS party each drew less than 10%, reflecting a sharp break from nearly 20 years of dominance.
• The contenders outline divergent fiscal paths, with Quiroga advocating tougher austerity and possible IMF backing while Paz proposes spending cuts, a hiring freeze, and tax amnesties.
• Bolivia is experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades, with inflation near 25% and widespread fuel and dollar shortages as gas production falls.
• Paz’s running mate, former police captain Edman Lara, energized supporters in El Alto on Monday with an anti-corruption message that has broadened the ticket’s appeal.