With promises to overcome the harsh crisis that Bolivians are experiencing, the liberal Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga and the centrist Rodrigo Paz closed their campaigns on Wednesday in parallel mass rallies ahead of Sunday's historic presidential election runoff.

Quiroga, from a neighborhood in the northwest of La Paz, the seat of government, told supporters a vote for him would help "open the doors to change with hope for the free project that ends the crisis, brings investment, and opens markets."

Meanwhile, Paz, from the southern region of Tarija, where he built his political career as a senator and mayor, concluded his campaign with a message of unity and promised more gradual adjustments.

"A new era is beginning with new people, people who are fighters, and there will be no corruption in our country," he said.

The current economic crisis, considered the worst in the last 40 years, has affected basic foods that are scarce on the tables of Bolivians, such as eggs, oil, and rice. But also medicines, whose price has increased up to 300%, and recurring fuel rationing.

The candidates blame the model of the ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), which suffered its worst defeat in the first round in almost 20 years of hegemony due to a fracture between President Luis Arce and the iconic leader and founder, former President Evo Morales (2006-2019).

Quiroga, a harsh critic of the MAS's statist economic model, has promised a radical change and to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Paz, for his part, is opposed to going to the IMF and has promised more gradual economic reforms. But he also committed to changing the justice system to eradicate corruption.

In the latest poll, Quiroga had 44.9% while Paz had 36.5%, with a margin of error of 2%. The survey was conducted by the company Ipsos Ciesmori and disseminated last Sunday by the television channel Unitel.

AP Video by Victor R. Caivano and Carlos Guerrero