Bolivian polls shut in an election that moves the nation closer to the US
Voters in Bolivia awaited the outcome of a presidential runoff that would signal a clear rejection of the socialist government and a probable change in foreign policy toward the United States following decades of tense relations as polls closed on Sunday.
The first findings are anticipated after 9 p.m. (0100 GMT).
Conservative former president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga is running against centrist Senator Rodrigo Paz. Both candidates have promised to seek financial assistance from the United States to repair Bolivia’s precarious economy and to improve diplomatic relations with Washington, which have been tense since 2009.
After the leftist Movement to Socialism party, established by Evo Morales and once supported by the Indigenous majority, dominated Bolivia for two decades, the runoff between two pro-market candidates from affluent backgrounds marks a turning point in the country’s history.
Organization of American States (OAS) electoral observers reported that Sunday’s vote went smoothly. On November 8, the victor will take office.
Some voters believe that the finalists are reminiscent of the conservative administrations that supported tight ties with the United States and privatization in the 1990s. Bolivia’s first Indigenous leader, Morales, nationalized the oil and gas sector and sought ties with Russia, Cuba, and Venezuela after seizing office in 2006.
“This election is a political watershed,” said Glaeldys Gonzalez Calanche, International Crisis Group’s Southern Andes expert. “Bolivia is heading in a new direction,” she stated, regardless of the result.
Quiroga has pledged “radical change,” which includes cutting back on public expenditure significantly and shutting down or selling off state-owned businesses that are losing money. Paz supports a more measured strategy that upholds social programs for the underprivileged while encouraging the expansion of the private sector.
According to polls, Quiroga has a slim advantage. Although Paz performed better than expected in the August first round, he received 47% support versus Paz’s 39% in a September Ipsos survey.
Voters desire a shift in the economy.
Quiroga is advocating for a $12 billion international bailout supported by multilateral lenders, while Paz revealed plans in late September to enter into an economic cooperation agreement worth $1.5 billion with U.S. officials to guarantee fuel supplies.
Both presidential contenders “want stronger, better relations with the United States,” according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week, following decades of anti-American rule. On Wednesday, he declared, “This election is a transformative opportunity,”
Although Paz has opposed significant spending cuts and Quiroga maintains that his policies will help ordinary Bolivians, some Bolivians have expressed concerns about austerity measures similar to those implemented in neighboring Argentina under President Javier Milei.
In the first round of the election, support for the Movement to Socialism virtually vanished.
Since the beginning of the year, inflation has risen to 23%, and shortages of dollars and petrol have severely hampered consumer demand. Once Bolivia’s main source of income, natural gas exports have fallen precipitously, putting pressure on the boliviano’s value and restricting the country’s ability to purchase petroleum.
Shops in the business sector of La Paz are deserted and appliance stores are closed.
“There are months with zero sales,” the local Importers’ Association’s leader, Mercedes Quisbert, stated. According to her, retailers and street vendors had been merely surviving the crisis until this year, but that is no longer the case.
According to official figures, 84% of Bolivians work outside the regular labor market, making it one of the countries in Latin America with the greatest rates of informal employment. Purchasing and selling items is how millions of people earn a living.
Marcela Martinez, 52, remarked, “We’re basically surviving,” while comparing prices at a La Paz market. On Sunday, she intended to cast her ballot for Paz. “We need new people to come in.”
