Spanish
La Paz.- Former congressman, former mayor, economist by profession and born in Spain due to his parents' exile, the opposition presidential candidate Rodrigo Paz Pereira surprised in the general elections in Bolivia by appearing in first place in the quick counts with more than 30% of the valid votes.
Paz Pereira, 57 years old, is the main revelation of the current electoral process, as she went from the last places in the pre-election polls to dispute a second round with former President Jorge 'Tuto' Quiroga (2001-2002), to whom the quick counts give 27%.
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His running mate in the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) is former Police Captain Edman Lara, who became popular on social media for his revelations of various cases of alleged corruption within the police institution, until he was discharged in 2024. Son of Carmen Pereira, a Spanish woman, and former Bolivian President Jaime Paz Zamora (1989-1993), Paz Pereira was born in Santiago de Compostela in 1967 and spent his childhood in several countries because his parents were persecuted during the military governments. The politician is an economist and has studies in international relations, as well as extensive experience in the public sector, having been a deputy, councilor, mayor of the southern city of Tarija between 2015 and 2020, and is currently a senator for the opposition force Comunidad Ciudadana (CC), of former president Carlos Mesa (2003-2005). To get to the Mayor's Office of Tarija, Paz Pereira defeated the government's Movement for Socialism (MAS) in the 2015 municipal elections, then led by former President Evo Morales (2006-2019). In 2019, he was part of the so-called Coordinator for the Defense of Democracy, which demanded a second round of elections, amid allegations of fraud in favor of then-President Morales and to the detriment of Carlos Mesa in the failed general elections of that year, later annulled. In the current electoral process, the senator had a modest campaign compared to the great display made by Quiroga and the also opposition Samuel Doria Medina, whom the polls had placed among the top positions and with possibilities of disputing the second round. In statements to EFE, Paz Pereira defined himself as "a man who has two enormous happinesses, loving the homeland and loving his family". "From this, (Paz) builds a vision together with other men and women who love peace, the whole of the homeland and their families with Christian values, and we are working to generate a great agreement, a consensus," he stated. If she wins the elections, Paz Pereira pledged to fulfill the proposed agenda alongside Lara, including her offers to end the "State blockade" to give more resources to the Bolivian regions, cut "superfluous expenses" in the State and apply an "iron fist" against corruption and a judicial reform. "Bolivia needs stability, it needs governability, but it needs to end the 'State that hinders' so that the State works for us and we for the State," he pointed out. He is also clear that in order to implement his plans, he will have to reach consensus in the Legislature, which would be presided over by 'Capi Lara' if the duo wins in the second round. Paz Pereira relies on his experience as a legislator and as the head of an Executive body, having been mayor.
