Bolivia.- Polls close in Bolivia after an election day with isolated incidents

MADRID, 17 (EUROPA PRESS)

The polling stations in Bolivia have begun counting the vote for the 2025 presidential elections after a day with certain incidents worth mentioning, such as an attempted attack on candidate Andrónico Rodríguez that resulted in no injuries, but within democratic normality, as observed by observers from the European Union and the Organization of American States (OAS).

The president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Óscar Hassenteufel, has also appreciated a “positive” day, characterized by the opening of 100 percent of the 34,026 tables enabled in the nine departments of the country. Hassenteufel also characterized the day's incidents as “isolated.”

Eight candidates, all of them men, aspire to succeed Arce, who has supported former minister Eduardo del Castillo as the official candidate of the ruling Movement towards Socialism (MAS), also in conflict with the 'evista' side, while Evo Morales argues that the elections have no legitimacy.

Rodríguez, considered a "traitor" by Morales' followers - who has asked for a null vote - managed to vote at the José Carrasco educational unit, in the municipality of Entre Ríos, an 'Evista' bastion, when the stoning began.

In subsequent statements to the national media, he assured that the attack perpetrated against him was organized premeditated, although he tried to downplay the violence of what happened.

However, the head of mission of the European Union (EU) in Bolivia, Davor Steir, has highlighted that election day in the country is taking place normally and in an atmosphere of tranquility. “What we have seen is that the right to secrecy of voting has been respected, we have not recorded incidents of proselytizing campaigns in the electoral precincts or surrounding areas.

The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, has made a passionate defense of democracy in the country after casting his vote in the crucial elections this Sunday that will decide his successor in the midst of the rise of the right.

“This is a day where Bolivians have to show once again unity, and we have to demonstrate once again to the entire world that we are a people that opted for democracy and we are going to resolve our differences in democracy,” the still president proclaimed.

Arce initially considered running again but finally resigned in May, in a last attempt to join forces against a rising right.

One of its exponents, businessman Samuel Doria Medina, has also cast his vote with a message of encouragement to citizens to resolve “peacefully” the economic crisis that the country is going through. “Today is a very important day for Bolivians, because through voting we can get out of this economic crisis peacefully, democratically and change what our country needs,” Medina stated.

Doria Medina, one of the richest businessmen in Bolivia and a regular at the electoral ballots, has 'a priori' a slight advantage over another great technocratic candidate, Jorge 'Tuto' Quiroga, who already knows what it means to be president, even if it was only for a year after the departure of General Hugo Banzer. Both have a voting intention of around 20 percent.

With these forecasts, it seems clear in any case that there will be a second round on October 19, an unprecedented milestone since the 2009 Constitution introduced this final round in the event that no candidate obtained more than 50 percent of the votes or 40 percent with a difference of ten points over his most direct rival.