Bolivia’s protests, which began in early May, have intensified into a nationwide political and economic crisis just seven months after conservative President Rodrigo Paz took office, ending nearly two decades of rule by the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), the party founded by former president Evo Morales.
Paz’s election in October 2025 was itself the product of MAS’s collapse. Incumbent president Luis Arce did not seek reelection amid internal party divisions and chronic shortages, and support for MAS cratered amid a deepening economic crisis. In the August 17 first round, Paz won 32.1% of the vote, Quiroga 26.7%, and Doria Medina 19.7%, with 87% turnout, according to IFES. The EU Election Mission confirmed those figures. Paz won the October 19 runoff with 54.5% to Quiroga’s 45.5%, per Bolivia’s tribunal.
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