South America is witnessing a dramatic political pivot, with two of its nations—Bolivia and Chile—standing at the crossroads of historic elections that could reshape the continent’s ideological landscape. Recent votes in Bolivia have toppled nearly two decades of left-wing rule, while Chile braces for a fiercely polarized presidential contest. Both countries reflect a broader rightward shift that’s sweeping across the region, echoing recent electoral outcomes in Argentina and Ecuador, and perhaps foreshadowing what’s to come in Colombia’s upcoming elections.
Bolivia’s August 18, 2025, presidential election marked an unprecedented moment: for the first time since its 1982 return to democracy, the country will hold a runoff between two candidates who stand distinctly apart from the leftist Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party that has dominated Bolivian politics for almost 20 years. According to The Guardian and AP, centrist Senator Rodrigo Paz, 57, led the first round with 32.8% of the vote, while right-wing former President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga followed with 26.4%. With neither surpassing the 50% threshold—or the 40% with a 10-point margin needed for outright victory—a runoff is scheduled for October 19, 2025.
The ruling MAS party, once led by the charismatic Evo Morales, suffered a stunning defeat. Its official candidate, Eduardo del Castillo, finished a distant sixth with just 3.2% of the vote. Senate president Andrónico Rodríguez, another leftist hopeful, fared little better, capturing only 8%. It’s a sharp reversal for a party that, as AP notes, once rode a wave of popularity on the back of Morales’ social programs and defense of indigenous rights. But years of economic turmoil, allegations of corruption, and a bitter internal power struggle between Morales and his protégé-turned-rival, President Luis Arce, have eroded MAS’s base.
Bolivia’s economic woes are hard to ignore. Inflation has soared from 2% to a staggering 25% in just under two years, fuel is scarce, and a shortage of U.S. dollars has made importing essentials like wheat nearly impossible. As a result, many Bolivians are struggling to make ends meet—especially those working in the informal economy, as economist Roger Lopez told Reuters.
These hardships have fueled public anger at the MAS government. Morales, who has been barred from running due to term limits and is currently evading an arrest warrant for allegedly impregnating a minor, urged his supporters to cast null-and-void ballots in protest. The call was heeded: 19% of votes were invalid—far above the usual 6%. Election day, however, was mostly peaceful, despite isolated incidents like the attack on Rodríguez in Chapare, Morales’ stronghold.
The rise of Rodrigo Paz has taken many by surprise. While some, including The New York Times, describe him as a centrist, others point to his deep political roots—he is the son of former President Jaime Paz Zamora and has previously run for office with right-wing parties. Paz’s campaign, buoyed by a partnership with social media-savvy ex-police captain Edman Lara, has promised a more moderate approach than his rivals. Paz has distanced himself from pledges to sell off Bolivia’s lithium reserves or seek IMF loans, yet he hasn’t shied away from criticizing MAS’s economic model. “I want to congratulate the people because this is a sign of change,” Paz declared after the vote, as reported by AP.
Quiroga, meanwhile, congratulated Paz on his lead and hailed the result as “unprecedented.” The former president told supporters, “Bolivia told the world that we want to live in a free nation.” For many Bolivians, the runoff represents not just a break from MAS, but a chance to choose between two very different visions for their country’s future. As Kathryn Ledebur of the Andean Information Network put it to AP, “What we’re doing is moving back in time. This is not a new actor with dynamic policies. He’s a surrogate for the reconstruction of the traditional right.”
While Bolivia prepares for its historic runoff, neighboring Chile heads into its own pivotal presidential race, scheduled for November 16, 2025. The field is crowded with eight candidates, but the contest is largely seen as a showdown between right-wing veteran José Antonio Kast, 59, and leftist Jeannette Jara, 51. According to AFP, Kast is seeking the presidency for the third time, having lost the 2021 runoff to current President Gabriel Boric. Kast’s campaign this time is focused on tackling organized crime, vowing to “reclaim each neighbourhood and each public space” and promising “an emergency government” to “rescue” Chile. His approach, described as somber and pragmatic, stands in contrast to the fiery rhetoric of other regional right-wing leaders.
Jara, running for office for the first time, brings her own credentials as Chile’s former labor minister under Boric. She spearheaded labor reforms, including reducing the standard workweek from 45 to 40 hours. Although affiliated with the Communist Party, Jara leads a coalition that spans from the far left to Christian Democrats. She insists on being the “candidate of the centre-left and not of the Communist Party,” highlighting her public disagreements with Communist leaders in Cuba and Venezuela. Political analyst Mireya Davila told AFP that while Jara’s Communist ties could be a barrier, her greater challenge is uniting her diverse coalition.
Trailing the frontrunners are conservative ex-mayor Evelyn Matthei, 71, and economist Franco Parisi. Matthei, the most experienced politician in the race, had led polls until recently, but has since lost momentum to Kast. Parisi, who placed third in the 2021 election with a populist, anti-elitist campaign conducted entirely on social media, argues that “Chile is not a country of extremes; Chile is moving toward the centre.” Other candidates include libertarian Johannes Kaiser, former football administrator Harold Mayne-Nicholls, leftist Marco Enríquez-Ominami, and far-left Eduardo Artes.
Both Bolivia and Chile’s elections come at a time when South America’s political winds are shifting. The rightward turn in Bolivia, as Reuters observes, may signal trouble for other left-leaning governments in the region. Yet, as analyst Gonzalo Chávez Alvarez points out, Bolivia’s swing to the right fits a familiar pattern: every 20 years or so, voters pivot from one end of the spectrum to the other. What’s remarkable this time, according to The Guardian, is that the results are expected to stand, with a peaceful transfer of power—a rarity in a region where democracy has often been fragile.
As voters in both nations weigh their options, many are motivated by economic hardship and a desire for change. Jaqueline Cachaca, a Paz supporter who lost her banking job amid layoffs, told AP, “We want new people, new proposals, another chance for young people.” Meanwhile, Chileans are bracing for a contest that could set the tone for the country’s future—either a return to conservative governance or a continuation of progressive reforms.
The outcomes in Bolivia and Chile will not only determine the direction of their respective countries but may also ripple across Latin America, influencing the region’s political trajectory for years to come.
