Bolivia's Ruling Party Suffers Crushing Election Defeat | JQJO

Bolivia's ruling Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) party suffered a crushing defeat in Sunday's election, securing only 3.16% of the vote, barely avoiding disqualification. This outcome, a sharp decline from past dominance, is attributed to various factors including economic hardship, corruption scandals, and internal party strife between former president Evo Morales and current president Luis Arce. The election will proceed to a runoff between two right-wing candidates, Rodrigo Paz Pereira and Jorge Quiroga. The decline is particularly evident among the Aymara bourgeoisie, owners of extravagant "cholets", who once strongly supported MAS but now cite economic downturn and disillusionment as reasons for switching allegiance.