Socialism suffers first defeat in Bolivia in 20 years with right-wing and centrist candidates headed to runoff

Published August 18, 2025 10:07am ET

Voters in Bolivia rejected socialist candidates for the first time in over 20 years in their presidential election Sunday.

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales and his Movement Toward Socialism, or MAS, party had dominated politics since his first election in 2005. But the Latin American country signaled a shift to the right Sunday, according to an unofficial early count.