In Bolivia, Senator Rodrigo Paz of the centrist Christian Democratic Party won the second round of the presidential election held on 19 October. According to preliminary data from the electoral commission, he won about 55 per cent of the vote, ahead of the conservative candidate, former President Jorge Quiroga.
Already before the second round of elections, it was clear that the country was ending nearly two decades of rule by leftist politicians, first Evo Morales and then Luis Arce. Both represented the Left Party of the Masses (“movement towards socialism”) and had clashed with each other in recent years. As a result, Arce withdrew from the election and Morales could not run due to constitutional restrictions.
Paz, 58, hinted at a change in Bolivia’s foreign policy in his post-election speech. He particularly stated his intention to “open Bolivia to the world” and restore relations with the US. Economic and institutional reforms are also expected from the new president. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted even before the second round of elections that both candidates want to improve relations with the United States. In particular, Paz has prepared plans to attract U.S. investments worth $1.5 billion.
The change of power in Bolivia comes against the background of a sharp deterioration in relations between another American country, Colombia, where the leftist government is in power, and the United States. On 20 October, it became known about the withdrawal of the Colombian ambassador from Washington – after US President Donald Trump accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of drug trafficking. The US had earlier revoked Petro’s visa after he called on the US military to disobey Trump’s orders at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York.