End of an era: Bolivia breaks with 20 years of the extreme left and heads to a historic presidential run-off election

Bolivia is heading for the first time in its history to a presidential runoff, in a scenario that leaves out the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), the leftist force that ruled the country for almost 20 years. Preliminary results of the elections held on Sunday place Rodrigo Paz, of the Christian Democratic Party, with around 31% of the votes, and former president Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, with 27%, as the two contenders who will contest the presidency in a runoff.

The day marks a historic break: the political current led by Evo Morales since 2006 and which continued in power with Luis Arce is relegated. The MAS candidate, Andrónico Rodríguez, barely reached 8% and did not manage to enter the definition, confirming a strong setback of the Bolivian left.

The collapse of the favorite

The great blow of the election was dealt by the businessman Samuel Doria Medina, who had been leading the polls until a few days ago. With a high spending campaign and media presence, he finally came in third place with about 20%, with no chance of advancing to the run-off.

Other candidates, such as Manfred Reyes Villa (7%) and the pro-government Eduardo del Castillo (3%), were also left out of the competition.

The surprise of Rodrigo Paz

Rodrigo Paz, son of former president Jaime Paz Zamora (1989-1993), was the great surprise of the day. With a modest campaign focused on the promise to "sweep away corruption", he moved to the first place in the preferences. His trajectory includes positions as congressman, mayor of Tarija, governor and currently senator for Comunidad Ciudadana, a center-right opposition alliance.

Paz has also distanced himself from authoritarian governments in the region. In July, he spoke out about the dictatorship in Venezuela, pointing out the need for that country to return to democracy and leave caudillismo behind.

The return of Quiroga

Jorge Quiroga governed Bolivia between 2001 and 2002 and returns as a right-wing candidate. His second place in the polls confirms him as a key player in the final dispute for the presidency, backed by sectors seeking a strong alternative to the MAS legacy.

An observed and calm process

The voting tables closed without major incidents. International missions from the OAS and the European Union highlighted the tranquility of the process and the democratic vocation of the Bolivian electorate.