From TikTok to frontrunner, inside Paz's presidential campaign in Bolivia

Bolivia's vice-president candidate for the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Edman Lara, waves to his supporters during a rally a day after the results of the presidential election in La Paz, Bolivia on August 18, 2025. [Photo by AFP]

Senator Rodrigo Paz, the surprise top finisher in Bolivia's first-round presidential election, spent years traveling the country, posting hundreds of social media videos and honing his image like a full-time influencer.

The 57-year-old center-right economist secured 32.1 percent of the votes in Sunday's election, followed by right-wing former president Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, who took 26.8 percent, according to official preliminary results.