After two decades of near continuous left-wing rule and closer ties with Russia, Moscow and Iran, the resource-rich Latin American country is set to elect a non-left-wing president. Senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira and former president Jorge Quiroga came in first and second place in the recently held elections. Neither received a high enough share of vote to secure an outright win, so the vote will go to a runoff, due in October.
The result marks a drastic shift for Bolivia, which since 2006 has mostly been dominated by the interventionist MAS party led by the charismatic Evo Morales, although his once tight grip on the leftist coalition had already faded.
The country’s turn to the right comes as it is experiencing its worst economic crisis in years, with shortages of fuel, foreign reserves and some food items and high inflation and debt.
The election of a non-left president will likely see sharp changes in the country’s foreign policy. It could potentially mark closer ties with the US after two decades of strong ties with China, Russia, and Iran.
The election is expected to pave way for market-friendly policies for Bolivia’s crisis-wrecked economy. Both the candidates have indicated more support for foreign investment in Bolivia’s vast Lithium reserves – a critical ingredient for batteries in electric cars, computers, mobile phones and solar panels.
For the first time in two decades, the former president Evo Morales was not on the ballot. Morales, the president from 2006-19 was barred from running again, despite attempts to challenge legal and constitutional rulings to let him run for a fourth term. Deep rifts and power struggles have existed in the ruling MAS party since Morales demitted office. Morale’s supporters have held protests and roadblocks against the re-election ban imposed on him, which at times turned deadly.
Judges had ordered an arrest warrant for Morales; he calls the accusations politically motivated. He has been living and operating from Chapare in Bolivia, protected by his supporters.
Disclaimer: The article has references to open sources including BBC and Reuters.