Bolivia holds tight presidential runoff as voters seek a leader to lift them from crisis

Bolivia holds tight presidential runoff as voters seek a leader to lift them from crisis World Oct 19, 2025 1:46 PM EDT

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivians voted on Sunday in an unprecedented presidential runoff between two conservative, capitalist candidates, ushering in a new political era after almost 20 years of one-party rule by the Movement Toward Socialism party.

Voters are choosing between former right-wing President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga and centrist Sen. Rodrigo Paz as they look for a leader to lift them out of their country’s worst economic crisis in decades.

READ MORE: Bolivia heads to a runoff election after upset ends decades of ruling party dominance

Since 2023, the Andean nation has been crippled by a shortage of U.S. dollars that has locked Bolivians out of their own sa