Bolivia, a country long defined by its left-wing leadership, has entered a new political era. On October 19, 2025, Rodrigo Paz, leader of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), secured a decisive victory in the presidential runoff, capturing 54.5% of the vote over right-wing former interim President Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, who garnered 45.5%. The win, officially announced on October 20, marks the first time in nearly two decades that a conservative has claimed the presidency in Bolivia, signaling a dramatic shift after years of MAS party rule.
Paz, a 58-year-old centrist senator and economist, is no stranger to Bolivian politics. The son of Jaime Paz Zamora, who served as president from 1989 to 1993, Rodrigo Paz grew up in a family deeply embedded in the nation’s political fabric. According to EL PAÍS, his father was a founder of the Marxist-inspired Revolutionary Left Movement, and both parents spent time in exile during Bolivia’s era of military dictatorships. Despite these leftist roots, Rodrigo Paz has charted a different course, steadily recasting himself as a pragmatic, business-friendly conservative.
His journey began in the lower house of Congress before he became mayor of Tarija, his southern hometown, from 2015 to 2020. Since then, he has served as a senator, steadily building his reputation as a moderate reformer. Paz’s campaign, however, was anything but predictable. Just two months before the election, polls had him trailing in third place. Yet, in a stunning turnaround, he not only advanced to the runoff but ultimately swept six of Bolivia’s nine departments, including an overwhelming 65% of the vote in La Paz and over 60% in Cochabamba. This broad support, as reported by EL PAÍS, underscored the national reach of his message.
In his first speech after the results were confirmed, Paz declared, “Bolivia breathes winds of change and renewal to keep moving forward.” He succinctly summed up his vision for the country in three words: “God, family, and country.” Paz’s rhetoric, though conservative, was measured. He promised not a radical break from the past, but a new era focused on practical solutions to Bolivia’s mounting economic woes.
Indeed, the country faces significant challenges. As noted by WION and EL PAÍS, Bolivia is currently mired in a recession, with annual inflation approaching 25%, critical shortages of U.S. dollars, and persistent fuel scarcity. The economic malaise has left many Bolivians frustrated and eager for change. In his victory address, Paz acknowledged these difficulties but struck an optimistic note: “Ideology doesn’t put food on the table. What does is the right to work, strong institutions, legal security and private property.”
Paz’s campaign centered on what he called “capitalism for everyone”—an as-yet-undefined but appealing slogan that resonated with a new generation of Aymara entrepreneurs and business owners. This emerging class, a product of economic growth during the MAS years, no longer defines itself by ethnic identity but by economic ambition. Paz promised to dismantle what he described as “state barriers” that hinder entrepreneurship and pledged to remove the “state roadblock” to economic development. According to EL PAÍS, this platform helped him pick up many votes that once went to the MAS party, especially in the Andean west, while also appealing to urban professionals and business leaders.
The election was not without its tensions. Quiroga, a veteran politician making his fourth unsuccessful bid for the presidency, conceded defeat on election night, telling supporters, “Bolivia doesn’t need us to add to her difficulties right now.” While some of his backers shouted “fraud,” Quiroga himself acknowledged, “I understand the pain that overwhelms us; if we had systematic evidence, we would put it on the table.” The concession helped to calm the political atmosphere, and the traditional election-day vehicle ban left Bolivia’s cities unusually quiet—a testament to the country’s peaceful voting traditions.
An unexpected but crucial figure in Paz’s victory was vice president-elect Edman Lara, a former police officer who is hugely popular on social media. As EL PAÍS reported, many voters in the streets of La Paz said they were casting their ballots “for the captain” rather than for Paz himself. Lara’s broad appeal, especially among younger and more conservative voters, played a significant role in the PDC’s success. In his post-election remarks, Lara emphasized unity: “It’s time for brotherhood and reconciliation—we are all Bolivians. I have always believed in God and left everything to His will.”
Yet, the new administration faces immediate hurdles. The PDC does not hold a majority in the legislature, meaning Paz will need to forge alliances with other parties to govern effectively. As he noted after the election, “With our caucus, we can form a majority with any of the other parties—but not the other way around,” a pointed jab at Quiroga’s Libre alliance. The question of internal stability, especially given the strong personalities of Paz and Lara, remains open.
The transfer of power is scheduled for November 8, 2025. On that day, Bolivia will formally close the chapter on two decades of MAS dominance and begin what many hope will be a period of renewal and pragmatic reform. Still, not everyone is convinced. Evo Morales, the former MAS leader who is constitutionally barred from running and now lives in refuge in the Chapare region, dismissed both Paz and Quiroga as unrepresentative of the people and Indigenous communities. Morales, facing an arrest warrant on allegations of sexual abuse of minors, nevertheless insisted that he alone still spoke for Bolivia’s marginalized.
For now, most Bolivians appear ready to give the new president a chance. The scale of Paz’s victory—unexpected and sweeping—reflects a country eager for change but wary of extremes. As Paz himself put it, Bolivia is “reclaiming its place on the international stage.” Whether his promises of “capitalism for everyone” and a more inclusive, business-friendly government will translate into real improvements remains to be seen. But as the dust settles on this historic election, one thing is clear: Bolivia is breathing winds of change, and the world is watching to see where they will lead.