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GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Bolivia votes as support for left wanes and inflation is top of mind
Bolivian presidential candidate Andronico Rodriguez of the Popular Alliance (Alianza Popular) party poses as he votes during the general election, in Entre Rios, Cochabamba, Bolivia, August 17, 2025. REUTERS/ Agustin Marcarian LA PAZ — Voters in Bolivia began taking to the polls in a general election on Sunday that has been overshadowed by inflation at a four-decade high and the absence of former leftist President Evo Morales, who is barred from running. Leading the race are opposition conservative contenders Samuel Doria Medina, a business magnate, and Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, a former president, but neither commands more than 30% support, opinion polls show, with around a quarter of Bolivians undecided. The August race marks the first time in almost two decades that polling indicates Bolivia's incumbent Movement for Socialism, or MAS, could face defeat. Support for MAS-affiliated and other left-leaning candidates trails the opposition, totaling around 10%, according to the latest August Ipsos CEISMORI survey. If no presidential candidate wins more than 40% support with a 10 percentage point lead, the election will head to a runoff on October 19. Morales, who co-founded MAS and governed the country from 2006 to 2019 under its banner, has been barred from running for another term as president. Early on Sunday Morales took part in the electoral process, casting his vote in the central Cochabamba department, but later criticized the elections for excluding his political movement. Ballot stations opened on Sunday at 8 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) and will close at 4 p.m., with initial results expected after 9 p.m. Full official results are due within seven days. Voters will also elect all 26 senators and 130 deputies, and officials assume office on November 8. Officials on Sunday morning said that the election day was proceeding normally following several minor incidents reported at polling stations. Minister of Government Roberto Rios said that security measures had been effective and warned of misinformation about Sunday's vote. With a crowded field and no dominant MAS party candidate, the election marks a "crossroads moment" for Bolivia, said Southern Andes analyst Glaeldys Gonzalez Calanche of the International Crisis Group. Bolivia's fragile economy is top-of-mind for voters. Price rises have surged past other Latin American countries this year, and fuel and dollars have run scarce. Annual inflation doubled to 23% in June, up from 12% in January, with some Bolivians turning to cryptocurrencies as a hedge. Many Bolivians, especially those who work in the informal economy, were now struggling to make ends meet, said economist Roger Lopez. "Prices of the basic food basket are going up fast," said Lopez. "Suddenly the math doesn't add up anymore." They may choose to punish MAS on Sunday, creating a window of opportunity for centrists, the right, or a leftist faction led by Senate President Andronico Rodriguez. "Every year the situation has got worse under this government," said Silvia Morales, 30, from La Paz, who works in retail. A former MAS voter, she said this time she would cast her vote for the center-right. Carlos Blanco Casas, 60, a teacher in La Paz, said he intended to vote for change. "This election feels hopeful. We need a change of direction," he said. Quiroga has promised "radical change" to reverse what he calls "20 lost years" under MAS rule. He supports deep public spending cuts and a shift away from alliances with Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. Quiroga was president for a year in 2001-2002 after the then-leader resigned. Doria Medina, meanwhile, offers a more moderate approach, pledging to stabilize the economy within 100 days. On the left, the vote is split between the official MAS party candidate Eduardo del Castillo, who is backed by outgoing President Luis Arce, and Rodriguez, who has distanced himself from the party and is running on his own ticket. Morales, 69, has called for a boycott of the election, but analysts said his influence is waning. "There is widespread support for these elections," said Calanche. "Most Bolivians see them as key to leading the country towards economic recovery." — Reuters
Straits Times
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Bolivia leftist Rodriguez back in presidential race; Morales kept out
Bolivia's presidential candidate Andronico Rodriguez gestures as he and vice presidential candidate Mariana Prado (not pictured) announce their candidacy under the Popular Alliance during an event at a hotel in La Paz, Bolivia May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Morales/File Photo LA PAZ - Bolivian Senate leader Andronico Rodriguez is eligible to run in the nation's presidential elections later this year, a constitutional court confirmed on Thursday, while former President Evo Morales remains out of the running. Rodriguez, a leftist leader who has received backing from current President Luis Arce, had difficulties registering his party in the race. Morales, meanwhile, is constitutionally barred from running, though he has called for his supporters to take to the streets to demand his eligibility. Rodriguez's "Third System" party can participate in August's elections, the court ruled on Thursday. A recent Ipsos CIESMORI poll showed him as the leading contender for the left, after opposition candidates Samuel Doria, a businessman and economist, and conservative ex-President Jorge Quiroga. Morales, who has lost much of his political clout as he remains locked away in a compound guarded by his supporters in rural Bolivia to evade a warrant out for his arrest, on Thursday insisted that he will return to once again lead the country. Courts have repeatedly ruled that Morales, who has already served three terms as president, is ineligible to run for another term. "We again ask political actors to not try and judicialize the electoral process," senior judge Rene Yvan Espada said in a press conference. "We want to invite Bolivian citizens... to follow through on their responsibility to carry out these elections with the upmost normality, harmony and peace possible," he added. Morales has taken advantage of the waning popularity of Arce, once Morales' mentee, due to rising living costs, political infighting and long lines for petrol supplies, all of which have fueled recent protests and street blockades. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
