The ballot took place in a context of a serious economic crisis marked by a chronic shortage of dollars and fuel, while annual inflation is around 25%, an unprecedented level for 17 years.
Two right -wing candidates will compete in the second round of the presidential election in Bolivia, according to the projections of the institutes, marking the end of two decades of left governments in a country plunged into a serious economic crisis.
To everyone’s surprise, center-right senator Rodrigo Paz, son of former president Jaime Paz Zamora (1989-1993), came first with 31.3% and 31.6% of the vote, according to projections from Ipsos and Captura institutes. Former right-wing president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga (2001-2002) follows him closely with 27.1% and 27.3%, according to the same estimates. The Millionaire Samuel Doria Medina, favorite in all polls until a week ago, is however relegated to third place with 19.5 and 20.2% of the vote.
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The ballot took place in a context of a serious economic crisis marked by a chronic shortage of dollars and fuel, while annual inflation is around 25%, an unprecedented level for 17 years.
Lied responsible for the debacle, the outgoing president Luis Arce, formerly supported by former President Evo Morales (2006-2019), but now in conflict with him, has given up a second term. Andronico Rodriguez, the president of the Senate also from the left, and the candidate of the movement towards socialism (Mas) in power since 2006, Eduardo del Castillo, have failed to convince.
“Bolivia needs stability”
«I want a change. I think the left has done us a lot of trouble“Said Miriam Escobar, a 60 -year -old retiree. “”There is no work, no petrol, no diesel, everything is very expensive“, She deplored after having voted at La Paz. The right -wing candidates promised to break with the state model established by Morales. Under its presidency, poverty has retreated and tripled GDP, but the fall in revenues since 2017 plunged the country into the crisis.
«It’s the end of a cycle“Said Jorge” Tuto “Quiroga, after voting at La Paz. This engineer, who had provided an interim at the head of the country for a year (2001-2002), promises “A radical changeIn the event of a victory. Agustin Quispe, a 51 -year -old minor, however, described “tutorial” quiroga “dinosaurAnd said his support for Rodrigo Paz, who has focused his campaign on the fight against corruption and lower taxes. “”Bolivia needs stability, governability and an economic model turned towards the people rather than the State“Said Rodrigo Paz after voting at Tarija, in the south of the country.
The two winners will compete in a second round on October 19, inflicting on the left its heaviest backhand since the coming to power of Evo Morales.
