Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, a 65-year-old industrial engineering graduate and former vice president, is poised to win Bolivia’s presidential runoff election after three failed bids. Quiroga’s pro-business platform promises to rescue the nation from its worst economic crisis in decades by dismantling state-directed economy and opening up natural resources to private ownership.
Quiroga’s plan involves transferring shares in Bolivia’s abundant minerals from the government to individual citizens, placing most of the economy in private hands. This radical proposal aims to unleash a “liberal ownership revolution” that entitles all Bolivian adults to stakes in the country’s vital lithium, iron, and gas industries.
His economic team has rejected the use of the term privatization, instead framing the plan as an investment strategy for individual citizens. Quiroga faces opposition from Senator Rodrigo Paz, a centrist candidate who has surged from the bottom of the election field with moderate proposals that have appealed to disillusioned MAS party voters.
To halt Bolivia’s runaway inflation and replenish scarce U.S. dollar reserves, Quiroga seeks a $12 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund and other multinational lenders. He promises to slash corporate and sales taxes, lure foreign investors, and free up farmers’ access to credit.
Quiroga’s foreign policy is also under scrutiny, as he aims to reshape Bolivia’s relations with the United States and distance his country from Iran. Despite expressing hope for a free-trade agreement with the Trump administration, Quiroga acknowledges that U.S. policy has shifted towards raising tariffs.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/latin-america/bolivias-right-wing-ex-president-jorge-quiroga-says-change-everything-rcna227156