Two smiling men with flower garlands around their necks, one of them wearing a white and red cap
ARGENTINA

The Movement for Socialism, led by Evo Morales and Luis Arce, suffered a historic defeat

After the vote count was completed in the elections in Bolivia, center-right senator and former mayor of Tarija, Rodrigo Paz, prevailed with 31.3% of the votes, while the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), the far-left party led by Evo Morales and Luis Arce, suffered a historic defeat, losing power after nearly 20 years of hegemony and leaving the country in a serious economic crisis.

After showing steady progress in recent weeks, Paz secured his place in the runoff on October 19, where he will face former president Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, a right-wing figure, who received 27.3% of the votes. With these results, there will be an unprecedented second round in Bolivia, between Paz, from the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), and Quiroga, from the Libre alliance.

Another surprise of the election day was the performance of businessman Samuel Doria Medina, leader of Unidad Nacional, who reached 19.5% of the votes and once again failed to secure a chance at the presidency. With this result, he accumulates his fourth defeat in pursuit of the office, after his unsuccessful attempts in 2005, 2009, and 2014. In the evening, Doria Medina publicly acknowledged defeat and confirmed his support for Rodrigo Paz's candidacy.

Four men appear in the image, two in the foreground and two in smaller circular frames superimposed in the center.
Rodrigo Paz and Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga | La Derecha Diario

This time, fourth place went to leftist Andrónico Rodríguez, representative of Alianza Popular, with 8.2%. Evo Morales called him a "traitor" for running separately from the proposal of the coca growers' leader.

Behind Rodríguez, Manfred Reyes Villa obtained 7.1%. Meanwhile, the official MAS candidate, Eduardo Del Castillo, considered Luis Arce's political heir, received only 3.2%. Further down were Jhonny Fernández with 1.5% and Pavel Aracena with 1.4%.

Dark-haired man in a white jersey holds a document while standing next to a young man with a badge in a polling station with posters and a table number 15 sign in the background.
Evo Morales voting | La Derecha Diario

The end of socialism in Bolivia

This scenario marks an unprecedented event, since the introduction of the runoff in 2009, all presidential elections in Bolivia had been decided in the first round.

The Constitution stipulates that a candidate can be elected in the first round if he or she surpasses 50% of valid votes, or if he or she reaches at least 40% with a minimum difference of ten points over the second most voted candidate.

The advance to the runoff by Paz and Quiroga also anticipates a historic shift in Bolivian politics, since for the first time in nearly two decades the country will elect a president who doesn't come from the ranks of the left, after the prolonged and disastrous governments of MAS.

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