Overview
- With 97.53% of ballots counted, the electoral tribunal reported Paz at 54.54% to Jorge Quiroga’s 45.46%.
- Quiroga called to concede as some supporters alleged fraud, and the tribunal’s president said the trend is irreversible.
- Paz scheduled his inauguration for November 8 and pledged to “reopen” Bolivia internationally, thanking U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and signaling renewed regional engagement.
- He campaigned on anti-corruption and a “capitalism for all” plan to formalize the informal economy with accessible credit and tax incentives rather than seeking IMF support.
- An early test looms over lithium policy after courts suspended Chinese and Russian extraction contracts at Uyuni, while fuel queues and roughly 21% inflation highlight the economic crisis.