Bolivia’s conservative former president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga has vowed sweeping economic reforms as the cornerstone of his campaign for the October 19 presidential runoff , where he will face centrist Senator Rodrigo Paz.

Quiroga placed second to Paz in the August 17 first round with 27% of the vote, as the ruling Movement to Socialism founded by Evo Morales suffered its biggest defeat in decades. Neither candidate secured the 50% needed to win outright, triggering Bolivia ‘s first runoff since its return to democracy in 1982.

A longtime opposition figure, Quiroga, 65, served as interim president from 2001 to 2002. He has campaigned on promises to stabilize an economy battered by inflation – at its highest since the 1980s – and dwindling foreign reserves.

‘Dramatic, Radical Change’

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