The conservative leader’s inauguration ends nearly 20 years of rule by the Movement Toward Socialism.
LA PAZ, Bolivia — Rodrigo Paz was sworn in as Bolivia’s president on Saturday, Nov. 8, before lawmakers and foreign heads of state in the capital, marking a sharp political shift as he inherits an economy strained by fuel lines, a dollar crunch and rising prices.
His inauguration closes a two-decade chapter dominated by the Movement Toward Socialism, the party founded by former President Evo Morales. Paz, 58, a senator from the Christian Democratic Party, arrives with a promise of gradual economic repair and warmer relations abroad. He defeated former President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga in an Oct. 20 runoff and now faces the immediate test of easing shortages that have defined what many economists call Bolivia’s worst crisis in 40 years.
After taking the oath with his right hand over a Bible and cross, Paz stepped onto the Palacio Quemado balcony beside his wife, María Elena Urquidi Barbery, and their four children. “God, country and family, I do swear,” he said minutes earlier on the congressional floor, before receiving the presidential sash and medals. The ceremony drew regional leaders including Argentina’s Javier Milei, Chile’s Gabriel Boric, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, Uruguay’s Yamandú Orsi and Paraguay’s Santiago Peña. In his first address, Paz told supporters the government he inherits is “devastated … morally and materially indebted, with endless lines for fuel and empty markets,” and vowed to “rejoin the world” after years of isolation.
Paz campaigned as a conservative reformer who would move carefully on subsidies and the exchange-rate regime while opening the door to investment. He contrasted that stance with Quiroga’s pitch for a rapid International Monetary Fund program and fiscal shock. The new president says his priority is stabilizing supply chains and securing fuel imports as dollars remain scarce. He has indicated willingness to work with international lenders and export-credit agencies and announced an initial agreement with the Andean Development Corporation for a multiyear loan package worth several billion dollars aimed at shoring up public finances and infrastructure. Paz also signaled cooperation on security with international agencies long at odds with Bolivia’s previous governments.
Saturday’s transition severs the hold of a movement that rose during a commodities boom in the 2000s and spent heavily on subsidies and public works. As natural gas output and exports waned in recent years, the model faltered, contributing to persistent shortages and pressure on a fixed exchange rate. Paz’s backers say a measured shift could avoid social shock while restoring supply; skeptics warn that gradual steps may not move fast enough to ease pain felt in markets and at service stations. Political analysts note that patience may be short if lines for gasoline and cooking gas continue and groceries stay expensive heading into the holiday season.
Paz enters office without a governing majority. His Christian Democrats hold roughly two-fifths of the 166-seat Plurinational Legislative Assembly, forcing him to build coalitions to pass budgets, revise subsidy formulas or change hydrocarbon rules. He has courted blocs to the center and right and says he will seek agreements with regional governors and mayors on fuel distribution and public investment. “After two decades of left-wing government, he can count on goodwill from investors, but the task won’t be easy,” said Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue, noting that early missteps could drain political capital. Labor unions and neighborhood councils, powerful in Bolivian street politics, have promised to watch closely for price hikes.
The new administration is also poised to reset foreign policy. Paz has distanced Bolivia from the ALBA alliance and indicated a thaw with Washington after years of tense relations that included the 2008 expulsion of the U.S. ambassador. He has emphasized pragmatic ties with neighbors and lenders as part of a plan to revive gas fields, expand mining of critical minerals and attract private investment into logistics. Security cooperation is expected to broaden, including renewed coordination on anti-drug operations that previous governments curtailed. Diplomats who attended the ceremony said they expect early signals on regulatory stability and contract enforcement to test investor interest.
Legally and procedurally, Paz’s first days will be defined by cabinet appointments, a decree to formalize the fuel supply plan and talks with congressional leaders on an emergency economic package. The presidency said it will send its first bill to the Assembly within days to authorize external financing and streamline public procurement for fuel and food imports. The government is preparing a schedule of briefings with business chambers and unions and is expected to outline targets for reducing arrears owed to suppliers. Officials say a budget reprogramming measure could reach the floor before the end of November, laying the groundwork for a broader fiscal plan in early 2026.
On the streets of La Paz, supporters waved the tricolor flag and chanted as the presidential motorcade crossed the historic center. Vendors along Comercio Street described a mix of hope and anxiety. “We need diesel in the trucks so vegetables arrive on time,” said market seller Julia Huanca, clutching a stack of lettuce heads. A taxi driver idling near San Francisco church said he waited hours for gasoline last week and wanted “lines to end first.” Outside Congress, a small group of activists held signs urging inquiries into past contracts under prior administrations, while across town a handful of MAS loyalists decried the shift and warned of “privatization.”
By nightfall, the new president had met with legislative leaders and huddled with aides on cabinet picks, according to his office. A public agenda released by the presidency said Paz will present his initial economic measures early this week and convene governors for a fuel logistics meeting. As of late Saturday, fuel lines persisted in several districts of La Paz and El Alto, while markets reported limited restocking. The next milestone is Paz’s first policy address from the Palacio Quemado, scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10, outlining short-term steps on fuel and food supply and the timeline for sending his first bill to the Assembly.
Author note: Last updated November 9, 2025.