The right rises in Bolivia: Rodrigo Paz triumphs and puts an end to 20 years of hegemony of the Movement for Socialism (MAS)

Rodrigo Paz, a center-right candidate, won the presidential runoff in Bolivia with 54.53% of the votes against his rival Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, who obtained 45.47%. His victory represents the end of the nearly uninterrupted dominance of the MAS in power for two decades.

Paz's triumph marks a significant shift in Bolivian politics, with expectations for market-oriented reforms, reduction of subsidies, and greater international openness. At the same time, a new cycle opens where the right takes on the challenge of governing after an acute economic crisis — with inflation reaching 23% and severe shortages of dollars and fuel — which undermined support for the previous government.