Who is Rodrigo Paz? Bolivia’s president-elect ends nearly two decades of leftist rule

Bolivia’s president-elect, Rodrigo Paz, claimed victory in Sunday’s presidential runoff, defeating conservative rival Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga and bringing an end to nearly two decades of leftist governance. Paz, 58, of the Christian Democratic Party, is set to take office on November 8 and has pledged to open parts of the economy to private investment and close loss-making state firms.

Paz won 54.5 per cent of the vote to Quiroga’s 45.5 per cent, according to early results from Bolivia’s electoral tribunal, reports Reuters. However, his party does not hold a majority in the country’s legislature, meaning he will need to forge alliances to govern effectively.

The Centrist leader’s victory comes amid Bolivia’s worst economic crisis in a generation and marks a historic shift for the South American country, which had been governed almost continuously since 2006 by the Movement to Socialism (MAS), a party that previously enjoyed overwhelming support from the country’s Indigenous majority.

Who is Rodrigo Paz

Rodrigo Paz was born in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, during his family’s exile under Bolivia’s military dictatorship. He spent his early years moving between countries, attending various Jesuit schools, and later graduating from the American University in Washington. He is the son of former President Jaime Paz Zamora, who ruled Bolivia from 1989 to 1993. “In my parents' struggle for democracy, we lived in 10 different countries,” Paz told AFP in an interview in August.

Paz’s early life was marked by dramatic events that shaped his political ambition. His father survived a targeted plane crash in Bolivia ahead of the 1980 coup, and his mother survived a mysterious car crash while in exile.

Upon returning to Bolivia in the 1980s, Paz launched his political career in Tarija, moving from city councilor to senator. Over the years, he has aligned with various parties across the political spectrum, ranging from his father’s Revolutionary Left Movement to right-leaning alliances.

With his recent victory, Rodrigo Paz becomes the third man in his extended family to be elected president of Bolivia.

Another member of the candidate's political family is his great-uncle, four-time leftist president Victor Paz Estenssoro. Since going into politics, he has held positions as a congressman, mayor, and senator for Tarija, the region where his family is from.