08/17/2025
Presidential and legislative elections. Ruling Socialists lose power. Rightist candidate Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, who served as interim president and vice president under former military ruler Hugo Banzer, and Samuel Doria Mediana, were leading in the polls, with approximately equal support, but in a surprise, Senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira leads with 32%. Quiroga wins 27% Both pledge substantial changes to the economic structure. Quiroga favors bottom-up economy and support for the informal economy. Paz is more focused on the economic elites and the formal economy. A runoff will be held on 10/19.
Underinvestment in exploration has caused gas revenues to implode, falling from a peak of $6.1bn in 2013 to $1.6bn last year. With the country’s other major resource, lithium, still underground, the government has nearly run out of the foreign exchange needed to import fuel, wheat and other foodstuffs. Bolivians have repeatedly taken to the streets to protest rocketing prices and hours-long waits for fuel, bread and other basics.
Former leftist President Evo Morales has been barred from running, and the outgoing socialist President Luis Arce, who had fallen out with Morales, opted out of the race. Morales is isolated in the jungle of Chapare, where he has been holed up for months among fiercely loyal coca-growing labor unions. He has asked his followers to cast invalid votes.
