Polls in Bolivia closed on Sunday and voters awaited the results of a presidential runoff that marks a decisive rejection of the socialist government and a likely foreign policy shift toward the United States after decades of frosty relations.

Initial results are expected after 9 p.m. (0100 GMT). The race pits centrist Senator Rodrigo Paz against conservative former president Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga. Both candidates have pledged to strengthen diplomatic ties with Washington — strained since 2009 — and seek U.S.-backed financial support to stabilize Bolivia's fragile economy.

The runoff between two pro-market candidates from privileged backgrounds signals an epochal shift for Bolivia, following two decades of dominance by the leftist Movement to Socialism party, founded by Evo Morales and on

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