Bolivia’s presidential vote heads to runoff : NPR

This combined photo shows the presidential candidates Rodrigo Paz, on the left and the former president of Bolivia, Jorge Quiroga, on the right.

Freddy Barragan, Arnulfo Franco / AP

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Freddy Barragan, Arnulfo Franco / AP

PAZ, Bolivia – The presidential vote of Bolivia went to an unprecedented runoff after a vote on Sunday which ended more than two decades of left domination in the Andean nation, but reported an apprehension of voters about a large -scale right.

A black horse center, senator Rodrigo Paz attracted more voices than right horses, but not enough to ensure a pure and simple victory, showed the first results.

PAZ, a former mayor who sought to soften the edges of the push of the opposition to difficult austerity to save Bolivia from economic collapse, will face the former right president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, who finished second. Bolivia will hold the second round – its first presidential runoff since its return in 1982 to democracy – October 19.

“Still in Bolivia, everything for Bolivia,” PAZ told encouraging crowds. “This economic model must change.”

With more than 91% of voting ballots on Sunday, PAZ received 32.8% of the votes expressed. Quiroga obtained 26.4%. The candidates had to exceed 50%, or 40% with a margin of victory of 10 points, to avoid a runoff.

Addressing the fans and flanked by the family, Quiroga congratulated Paz for his advance.

“What happened is unprecedented. Bolivia has told the world that we wanted to live in a free nation,” he said. “It’s a historic night.”

A left establishment confronts its disappearance

The results gave a blow to the hegemonic movement of Bolivia towards the Party of Socialism, or Mas, which governed almost uninterrupted Bolivia since its founder, the former charismatic president Evo Morales, increased in power in the framework of the “pink tide” of the left leaders who was according to Latin America during the boom of the goods in the early 2000s.

Mas’ official candidate, Eduardo del Castillo, finished sixth with only 3.2% of the vote. The other left candidate considered the best hope of the party, the president of the 36 -year -old Senate, Andrónico Rodríguez, won 8% of the votes.

During its almost 14 years in power, Morales has widened the rights of the country’s indigenous majority, defended coca producers against the eradication programs supported by the United States and spilled the benefits of natural gas in social programs and infrastructure.

But the earlier and higher attempts by the leader of the Maverick to extend his presidency – as well as allegations of sex with minor girls – have embittered public opinion against him.

Mijoteux dissatisfaction has turned into a tidal wave of anger against the MAS party while the formerly stable economy of Bolivia imploded by the moral procedure, which has become-Rival, President Luis Arce.

The annual inflation rate increased from 2% less than two years to more than 16% last month. A fuel shortage has paralyzed the country. A desperate shortage of US dollars needed to pay essential imports and wheat paralyzed the economy.

As the crisis accelerated, the leaders of the Mas exchanged the blame. A power struggle between Morals and Arce finally fractured the party and gave the opposition a real shot to victory even if its non -charismatic candidates failed to unite.

A centrist takes a surprise lead

Paz’s victory was a shock for a nation that had been conditioned by weeks of opinion polls to expect the main right -wing suitors, Quiroga and the businessman Samuel Doria Medina, capture the first two places.

Sunday marked the fourth presidential offer of Doria Medina. He told the supporters face to face that he had “no regrets”.

“I wanted to serve Bolivia as president, and this was not possible,” he said.

The elevation of the more moderate PAZ apparently reflects Bolivian ambivalence about a dramatic turn to the right.

PAZ has sought to be distant from the commitments of Quiroga and Doria Medina to sell many Bolivia lithium reserves to foreign companies and turn to the International Monetary Fund for billions of dollars in loans.

But he also launched puffed attacks against the MAS party and its state -led economic policies.

“I want to congratulate people because it is a sign of change,” said Paz. “They want a different future.”

New face, old roots

Despite their major promises for a radical change, Doria Medina and Quiroga found it difficult to arouse the excitement of voters.

The Bolivians both associate them with the neoliberal administrations supported by the United States that Morales repudiated when he stormed the post in 2006, declaring the end of the experience of Bolivia over 20 years with free market capitalism.

Now, after 20 years of populist economic policies of morals, directed by the State, Bolivia faces a return to the belt. After years of alignment with world powers like China and Russia, Bolivia seems to be reconciled with the United States.

Paz supporters have described the former mayor of the southern city of Tarija as a new face with new ideas. But he too has deep ties with the former political elite of Bolivia.

The 57 -year legislator is the son of former president Jaime Paz Zamora, who began his political career as a committed leftist and co -founded the revolutionary left -wing movement. He and his colleagues were targeted and persecuted under the bloody military dictatorship of Hugo Banzer in the 1970s. Paz was born in exile in Spain during the dictatorship of Banzer.

But in a dramatic turning point, Paz Zamora then struck a pact with the right party of Banzer and managed to serve as president from 1989 to 1993. Doria Medina was his Minister of Planning.