Bolivia to hold runoff; voters spurn dominant leftists

Bolivia's presidential vote is headed to an unprecedented runoff after Sunday’s election ended over two decades of ruling party dominance in the Andean nation.

- By IsaBEL DEBRE

A PEDESTRIAN passes the government palace in La Paz, Bolivia, on Monday.

A centrist lawmaker from a prominent political family, Sen. Rodrigo Paz, and a right-wing former president, Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, will face off in October after a first round of voting knocked out candidates allied with the nation’s long-dominant +Movement Toward Socialism, or MAS, party.

Paz, a former mayor, campaigned with the slogan “Capitalism for all” — rejecting the statist policies of MAS while pitching a more inclusive approach to rescuing Bolivia from its worst economic crisis in four decades. He has promised to lower tariffs, reduce taxes and make small loans more accessible for entrepreneurs.

“Bolivia is looking for change, looking for renewal,” Paz told the Associated Press after his win. “The vast majority of people have expressed that desire for renewal—merchants, the self-employed, transport workers, the great majority of this country.”

Paz had been trailing in opinion polls for weeks. But he gained unexpected traction as he teamed up with Edman Lara, a social-media-savvy ex-police captain with evangelical backing who was fired for denouncing corruption in the security services.

“We did not invest millions, we invested in the people’s trust,” Lara told local media on Monday, seeking to portray his ticket as a humble alternative to that of the wealthy right-wingers who poured vast sums into campaigning. “While others spent fortunes on posters and TV spots, we trusted in the strength of the citizens and a message of unity.”

Paz secured a lead over Quiroga with over 32% of the votes cast. Quiroga received just over 26%. Candidates needed to surpass 50%, or 40% with a 10-point margin of victory, to avoid a runoff.

Bolivia holds the presidential runoff — its first since its 1982 return to democracy — on Oct. 19.