Center-right senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira elected president of Bolivia

Bolivians on Sunday elected center-right senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira as president of the country, which is reeling from a severe economic crisis that ended two decades of leftist socialist rule.
In his first statement after the results were released, Pereira said that Bolivia is gradually regaining its standing on the international stage.
“We must open Bolivia to the world and restore its role,” added Pereira, who received 54.6% of the vote with 97.8% of ballots counted, according to the Supreme Electoral Court.
As the results were announced, the streets of La Paz, which had been almost empty until then, were filled with supporters of the president-elect to the sound of firecrackers, shouts of joy, and music.
“I called Rodrigo Paz Pereira to congratulate him,” his rival, Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, said at a La Paz hotel, as he conceded defeat.
Speaking to the media, Vice President-elect Edmund Lara called for “unity and reconciliation among Bolivians”.
Pereira will assume power on November 8, succeeding outgoing President Luis Arce, who withdrew from the race after five years in power, which witnessed the country’s worst economic crisis in four decades.
Bolivia has been plagued by a fuel crisis after gas exports collapsed and foreign currency reserves ran out, sending inflation soaring to over 23% and creating long lines at gas stations.
Pereira adopts an economic program based on reducing public spending, particularly fuel subsidies, and greater openness to the private sector.
He also advocates a “capitalism for all” concept based on decentralization and fiscal discipline before any new debt.
Washington congratulated Paz on his victory, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the United States stands ready to partner with Bolivia on shared priorities.
“After two decades of mismanagement, the election of President Paz represents a transformative opportunity for both countries,” he added.
For her part, US Republican Senator Maria Elvira Salazar congratulated President-elect, saying that Bolivia is emerging after years of socialism, corruption, and broken promises.
The electoral campaign was overshadowed by the failure of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party, founded by former President Evo Morales (2006-2019), as its candidate received only 3.1% of the vote in the first round.
Morales, who was the target of an arrest warrant in a child trafficking case that he denies, was unable to run again as the judiciary limited the presidential term to two.
“The belief that international loans will solve our economic problems is a mistake,” Morales said from his stronghold in Chapare (central), calling for an increase in social programs.
About eight million Bolivians were called to vote in a compulsory ballot.