Bolivia to vote in presidential runoff that will turn it to the right

"Bolivians go to the polls on Sunday in an election that, whatever the result, will mark a complete shift to the right after nearly 20 years under the rule of the leftist Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas). The country's first-ever presidential runoff pits the centre-right senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira, 58, who won the first round in August, against the rightwing former president Jorge Tuto Quiroga, 65, who in recent weeks has overtaken Paz Pereira in the polls."

"Bolivia's rightward shift could mark a drastic change in how the country deals with the cultivation of coca the plant that forms the base of cocaine but is widely used by Bolivians in its natural state and a return to the war on drugs of previous decades. This week, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, described the Bolivian election as one of the more promising developments in Latin America"

Bolivia holds a presidential runoff between centre-right senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira and rightwing former president Jorge 'Tuto' Quiroga after nearly 20 years of Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas) governance. Mas suffered its worst-ever first-round result, with the incumbent-aligned candidate winning just 3% of the vote. A rightward government could alter coca cultivation policy and revive aggressive anti-drug measures reminiscent of past decades. The United States has expressed optimism, and both leading candidates favor stronger US relations. The incoming president will face 25% annual inflation, acute dollar and fuel shortages, and logistical challenges for voting on 8 November.

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