PM Modi Congratulates Rodrigo Paz Pereira on His Election as President of Bolivia

New Delhi, Oct 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated Rodrigo Paz Pereira on his victory in the Presidential elections in Bolivia, expressing confidence that the partnership between India and Bolivia will continue to strengthen in the years ahead.

“Warm congratulations, Mr. Rodrigo Paz Pereira, on your election as the President of Bolivia. Close and friendly ties between India and Bolivia have long underpinned our mutually beneficial cooperation. I look forward to deepening our partnership for shared progress and prosperity in the years to come,” PM Modi posted on X.

Paz Pereira, 58, emerged victorious in the presidential runoff election held on Sunday, according to the quick count results released by the Preliminary Results System of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). His win marks a significant shift in Bolivian politics, ending two decades of left-wing rule and ushering in a new political era in the South American nation, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to official data, Paz secured 54.53 per cent of the votes—around nine percentage points higher than his closest rival, former president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, who received 45.44 per cent. The newly elected president will assume office on November 8 for a five-year term spanning 2025 to 2030.

India and Bolivia share long-standing cordial relations built on mutual respect and cooperation. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), bilateral exchanges, trade, and investment between the two countries have shown promising growth, with significant potential for further expansion. Both nations are working to deepen collaboration in areas such as minerals, infrastructure development, health and pharmaceuticals, information technology, capacity building, and development cooperation.

India took a major step toward strengthening diplomatic engagement by opening its resident Mission in La Paz in September 2024, while Bolivia established its resident Mission in New Delhi back in 2012. These developments have facilitated greater diplomatic and economic connectivity between the two nations.

India has also extended humanitarian and developmental assistance to Bolivia on multiple occasions. In September 2024, India provided Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) aid to support Bolivia’s efforts to combat widespread forest fires. The official handing-over ceremony took place in February 2025. Earlier, in August 2020, India donated 6.2 tonnes of essential medicines, including 300,000 Hydroxychloroquine tablets and protective medical gear, to assist Bolivia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bolivia continues to be a beneficiary of India’s development cooperation initiatives and has expressed keen interest in partnering with India on its development journey. Under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, India offers 10 training slots annually to Bolivian professionals.

Several Bolivian experts have attended specialized ITEC courses on infection prevention, policy development during health emergencies, and sharing best practices for managing pandemics. These collaborative efforts underscore the growing depth and diversity of India-Bolivia relations, which are expected to strengthen further under the new Bolivian leadership.