Bolivia’s conservative former president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga is betting on sweeping economic reforms to return to power in the country’s October 19 runoff election. Facing centrist Senator Rodrigo Paz, Quiroga has pledged to tackle inflation, slash public spending, and reset relations with Washington after years of leftist rule.
A High-Stakes Election in a Weakened Economy
Quiroga, who served briefly as interim president from 2001 to 2002, finished second in the first round on August 17 with 27 percent of the vote. Paz led the race, but neither candidate reached the 50 percent threshold required to win outright, forcing Bolivia’s first runoff since democracy was restored in 1982.
“The country is broke,” Quiroga told Reuters earlier this year. “We need dramatic, radical change, and I intend to bring it.”
His plan calls for deep spending cuts, scaling back fuel subsidies to focus only on public transport and vulnerable groups, and closing or privatizing loss-making state firms. He has also promised to eliminate several ministries to reduce bureaucracy.
The proposals, however, risk alienating Bolivia’s Indigenous majority, many of whom remain wary of conservative policies after past privatizations drove up prices for essential utilities. Critics warn that his agenda could spark new rounds of social unrest if he wins.
A career technocrat, Quiroga began in government as finance minister in 1992 under President Jaime Paz Zamora — the father of his current rival. He later lost two presidential elections to Evo Morales, whose Movement for Socialism party suffered its worst defeat in decades this year.
Despite concerns about job cuts and reduced welfare spending, Quiroga argues that ordinary Bolivians will benefit from his reforms. “The inflation that causes you so much anxiety is going to end,” he told supporters during a rally in Samaipata. He pledged to protect children and the elderly from benefit reductions.
If elected, Quiroga plans to seek financing from institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, pursue new trade partnerships, and overhaul the judiciary. He also wants to give citizens partial ownership of state-controlled natural resources — including lithium and gas — through a mutual-fund model. Opponents say the move would weaken state control over strategic industries.
Quiroga, who studied at Texas A&M University and once worked for IBM in Austin, often jokes, “I speak Texan, not English,” a nod to his U.S. ties. He vows to rebuild relations with Washington after years of Bolivian cooperation with China, Iran, and Russia.
Still, his ability to govern would depend on coalition-building. His Alianza Libre (Free Alliance) holds 43 of 130 lower-house seats and 12 of 36 Senate seats — slightly fewer than Paz’s party. With a fragmented congress and no outright majority, alliances will be key to passing reforms.
Surveys show a close race. A Red Uno poll in early October put Quiroga at 42.9 percent against Paz’s 38.7, while another survey suggested undecided voters were moving toward the centrist senator.
“I think ‘Tuto’ has the experience, but I’m not sure yet,” said Gonzalo Gutiérrez, 33, a La Paz resident who supported businessman Samuel Doria Medina in the first round.
As Bolivia braces for Sunday’s vote, the country faces a choice between radical market reforms and cautious economic continuity — a decision that could redefine its political future.