LA PAZ: Bolivia’s presidential candidates intensified their campaigns on Wednesday, just days before an election poised to end two decades of socialist governance.
Two right-wing candidates lead the race for the first time since 2005, reflecting voter frustration with the ruling Movement Towards Socialism party.
Centre-right businessman Samuel Doria Medina and former president Jorge Quiroga are tied in polls with around 20% support each.
Doria Medina, owner of Bolivia’s Burger King franchise, promised drastic economic reforms to stabilise the struggling economy.
Speaking in El Alto, a leftist stronghold, he vowed to address dollar and fuel shortages within 100 days through austerity measures.
Jonathan Vega, a 25-year-old chef, expressed hope that Doria Medina would bring much-needed stability to Bolivia.
The country faces its worst economic crisis in decades, with severe shortages of dollars, fuel, and subsidised bread.
Falling gas exports have drained foreign reserves, leaving Bolivia unable to meet its fuel import needs.
Both Doria Medina and Quiroga pledged to cut fuel subsidies and reverse some nationalisations from the Evo Morales era.
Quiroga, campaigning in La Paz, prioritised tackling Bolivia’s soaring inflation, which hit 24.8% in July.
He also threatened to shut the central bank, accusing the government of misusing it as a “credit card.”
Quiroga proposed tax-free zones in Bolivia’s lithium-rich regions to attract foreign investment.
His small-government approach has drawn comparisons to Argentina’s libertarian leader Javier Milei.
Alejandro Rios, a 23-year-old lawyer, endorsed Milei-style reforms as Bolivia’s best path out of crisis.
Left-wing candidates Andronico Rodriguez and Eduardo del Castillo trail far behind in the polls.
Their campaigns suffered due to a lack of support from former president Evo Morales.
Morales, disqualified from running again, urged supporters to spoil ballots in protest. – AFP