Bolivia holds a tight runoff as voters seek a president to lift them from crisis

Bolivians voted on Sunday in an unprecedented presidential runoff between two conservative, capitalist candidates, ushering in a new political era after 20 years of almost continuous rule by the Movement Toward Socialism party.

The race is in a dead heat as voters, looking for a leader to lift them out of their country's worst economic crisis in decades, choose between former right-wing President Jorge ''Tuto'' Quiroga and centrist Senator Rodrigo Paz.

Since 2023, the Andean nation has been crippled by a shortage of US dollars that has locked Bolivians out of their own savings and hampered imports. Year-on-year inflation soared to 23 per cent last month, the highest rate since 1991. Fuel shortages paralyse the country, with motorists often waiting days in line to fill up their tanks.

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