Centre-Right Rodrigo Paz Halts Bolivia’s Socialist Era and Promises ‘Capitalism for All’
The Winds of Change:
In a decisive presidential runoff, voters in Bolivia have embraced a dramatic political transformation, electing the centre-right candidate, Rodrigo Paz, as the country’s next president.
This historic outcome brings an end to the nearly 20-year dominance of the leftist Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party, founded by former President Evo Morales, and signals a significant shift in the nation’s political and economic trajectory.
Galvanised by the country’s most severe economic crisis in four decades, the electorate chose Paz, a relative centrist who campaigned on a pragmatic reform platform of ‘capitalism for all’, ushering in an era of uncertain but palpable renewal.
Headline Points
• Centre-Right Victory:
Rodrigo Paz, 58, of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), secured a clear victory in the runoff election held on Sunday, October 19, 2025.
• Decisive Margin: With nearly all ballots counted by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Paz won with 54.61% of the vote, defeating his rival, former right-wing President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, who received 45.39%. This represents a margin of just over 9 percentage points.
• End of MAS Era:
The election marks the conclusive end of two decades of leftist rule by the MAS party, which had governed almost continuously since 2006.
The MAS failed to advance a candidate to the runoff for the first time in the country’s democratic history.
• Economic Mandate:
Paz’s victory is widely seen as a rejection of the MAS’s economic model amid a deepening crisis characterised by critical shortages of US dollars, widespread fuel shortages, and soaring inflation that has reached significant levels in recent months.
• Inauguration Date: President-elect Paz is scheduled to take office on November 8, 2025.
An Unexpected Champion for a Nation in Crisis
The victory of the 58-year-old centrist senator for the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) was, for many, a surprise.
Just months ago, Paz was a little-known figure on the national stage, only shooting to prominence after an unexpected first-place finish in the general election held in August.
The surprise element of his triumph underscores the depth of voter frustration with the status quo and the widespread demand for a clear path out of the debilitating economic hardship.
Paz, an economist by training and the son of former leftist President Jaime Paz Zamora, managed to bridge a political divide. His platform, which promises to maintain popular social benefits while opening the economy to private investment, appealed to a broad base of voters, including many who were traditionally loyal to the MAS but were now disillusioned by the economic turmoil.
His message of “capitalism for all,” aimed largely at the self-employed and informal workers who make up a vast portion of the country’s workforce, resonated strongly across six of the country’s nine departments, including the largely Indigenous Andean highlands once considered the MAS heartland.
Concession and Call for Unity
Following the announcement of the irreversible trend in the preliminary results, former President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga conceded defeat. Speaking from a gathering of his supporters, Quiroga publicly congratulated Paz, stating that a refusal to recognise the results would “leave the country hanging” and urging for calm despite visible frustration among his base.
Paz, celebrating with supporters in La Paz, framed his win as the beginning of a new chapter for the South American nation of 12 million people. “Today, Bolivia can be certain that this will be a government that will bring solutions,” he told a cheering crowd. “Bolivia breathes winds of change and renewal to move forward.”
His running mate, Edmand Lara, appealed for “unity and reconciliation” and immediately highlighted the dire economic challenges awaiting the new administration, urging action to stabilise the price of the basic food basket and address critical supply shortages of gasoline and diesel.
The Daunting Task Ahead
The legacy of the MAS party’s two-decade rule, characterised by large-scale state spending, an economic boom driven by high commodity prices, and extensive subsidies, has left the incoming administration with a monumental challenge.
Paz inherits an economy on the brink, marked by the worst crisis in four decades. The new president’s proposed reforms are ambitious: he has pledged to phase out generous, budget-busting fuel subsidies, end the country’s fixed exchange rate, reduce hefty public investment, and restructure loss-making state-owned companies.
These proposed measures represent a significant departure from the state-driven model of the past two decades. However, the path forward is fraught with political difficulty. Paz’s Christian Democratic Party does not hold a clear majority in the legislature, meaning the new president will be compelled to forge and maintain complex political alliances to push through his ambitious overhaul.
Analysts note that Paz must navigate a delicate balance: enacting the necessary, potentially painful, fiscal adjustments to stabilise the economy while maintaining a gradual approach to avoid a sharp recession and a jump in inflation that could further enrage the masses, which has historically led to civil unrest in Bolivia.
The success of his administration, and the durability of this political shift, will be judged by its ability to resolve the urgent economic crisis and deliver on the promise of prosperity and stability for all Bolivians.
