Elections in Bolivia: leader of the Christian Democratic Party and Tuto Quiroga will dispute the ballot after defeat of the MAS

The candidate Rodrigo Paz Pereira, leader of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), obtained the greatest vote in the general elections of Bolivia 2025 and will dispute the presidency in ballot with the ex -president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, in an unexpected result that leaves behind the movement to socialism (more), a party that ruled the country for two decades.

In a context of social and economic crisis, shortage, historical figures of inflation, political confrontations and a climate of violence in the country, the people manifested at the polls in favor of change for Bolivia, trusting their future to two candidates opposed to the MAS.

Rodrigo Paz Pereira obtained 32.14% of the votes, followed by Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga with 26.81%, who ruled the country between 2001 and 2002, completing the management of Hugo Banzer after his resignation to the presidency for health reasons. Both candidates will seek the presidency on October 19, in the first ballot that is held in the country since the new Constitution of 2009.

The Bolivians also voted the renewal of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, with the first three forces of the right or center right, which could reach two thirds. In this way, the left would run out of representation in the Senate and achieve only some banks in deputies.

THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH IN THE ELECTIONS 2025

In recent weeks, Bolivia bishops spoke repeatedly asking citizens to exercise their duty participating in the electoral day.

In that framework, The Bolivian Episcopal Conference (CEB) issued a statement entitled “We are all responsible for deciding and called to participate”, in which he asked Bolivians that the context of crisis did not make them lose “the commitment to democracy”, while warning: “We must not let us ‘steal the hope’ of better days.”

This Sunday, while the election day was held, the Archbishop of Santa Cruz, Mons. René Cesarí, recalled in his homily That peace is not possible without social justice, and said: “That is what we expect, we expect a radical change, we hope that things will improve. The hope of all Bolivians is there.”

“The chosen politician will not only get there for his merits but for everyone’s support. If it is a national authority, it is for all, not only authority of those who have chosen it, a whole country will govern,” said the archbishop, inviting to be part of democracy without looking at us “as enemies” with whom they do not think the same.

“We need national authorities who can get us out of this difficult moment, so complicated that we are living,” insisted Mons.