# Bolivia Politics Explained, Who Holds Power in 2026

> President Rodrigo Paz governs Bolivia in October 2026 amid fuel subsidy cuts, road blockades, and arrest warrants for Evo Morales.
- Title: Bolivia Politics Explained, Who Holds Power in 2026 | Shortify
- Summary: President Rodrigo Paz governs Bolivia in October 2026 amid fuel subsidy cuts, road blockades, and arrest warrants for Evo Morales. President Rodrigo Paz…
- Keywords: bolivia, rodrigo paz, evomorales, fuel subsidies, road blockades, arrest warrants, congress, president, vice president, lithium contracts, state of exception, 50-50 plan
- Source: The Rio Times — https://riotimesonline.com/bolivia-politics-key-players-2026
- Author: Javier Mendoza
- Published: 2026-10-20T14:34:47+00:00
- Read time: 3 min
- Topics: bolivia, rodrigo paz, evomorales, fuel subsidies, road blockades, arrest warrants, congress, president, vice president, lithium contracts, state of exception, 50-50 plan
## Who Holds Power in 2026
President Rodrigo Paz governs Bolivia in October 2026 with a Congress where his party holds 49 of 130 deputy seats and a vice president who publicly criticises him.
## Why It Matters
Paz is ending fuel subsidies under a US$1.9 billion IMF programme, and road blockades, arrest warrants for Evo Morales and a prosecutor scandal now shape every political decision in La Paz.
## The Numbers
The Assembly has 36 senators and 130 deputies. Paz’s party holds 16 and 49, the Libre alliance 12 and 39, and the Unidad alliance 7 and 26.
## Who Is Who
Paz is president, Edmand Lara vice president and head of Congress, Marco Antonio Oviedo government minister, Ernesto Justiniano defence minister, and José Armando Urioste interim attorney general.
## What to Watch
A state of exception extended for 90 days on 17 September 2026 limits road blockades, two arrest warrants hang over Morales, and Congress must still choose a permanent attorney general.
## Power Index
Bolivia ranks 12th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 28.4 points (October 2026 edition).
## How Bolivia Politics Works
Bolivia is a presidential republic with a five-year presidential term. Paz won the runoff of Sunday, 19 October 2025, with 54.96% of the votes, Teleamazonas reported.
## The President and His Cabinet
Paz cut the cabinet from 14 to 12 ministries on Monday, 3 August 2026, closing Planning and Tourism. The Justice Ministry had already been shut in November 2025.
## Congress, Parties and the Vice President
No party holds a majority in either chamber. Official results show Paz’s Christian Democratic Party (PDC) as the largest group, with 49 of 130 deputies and 16 of 36 senators.
## Courts, Prosecutors and the Mariaca Case
Roger Mariaca held the post until the Assembly suspended him on Friday, 2 October 2026. The US State Department barred Mariaca from entering the United States, accusing him of taking bribes to facilitate drug trafficking.
## Police, Army and the State of Exception
The Government Ministry runs the police, and Police Commander Adrián Álvarez received US riot gear on Friday, 9 October 2026.
## Governors, Mayors and the 50-50 Plan
Juan Pablo Velasco, Quiroga’s 2025 running mate, became governor of Santa Cruz on 4 May 2026 after winning the final count.
## Evo Morales, the Streets and the Rising Figures
Evo Morales, president from 2006 to 2019, is in the Trópico de Cochabamba, a coca-growing lowland. He faces two arrest warrants, one for alleged human trafficking and one tied to the blockades.
## Where Bolivia Sits in the Power Index
The Rio Times Latin America Power Index of October 2026 ranks Bolivia 12th of 14 countries, with 28.4 points out of 100.The country strip on the power map notes that fuel prices reportedly rose 83%.
## What It Means for US Readers
The State Department rates Bolivia Level 2, exercise increased caution, in an advisory issued on 18 August 2026.
## What Is Not Known
The name of the commander in chief of the armed forces could not be confirmed. Nor could the current presidents of the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Tribunal and the electoral tribunal.
## Key takeaway

President Rodrigo Paz leads Bolivia in October 2026 with a minority government, facing fuel subsidy cuts, road blockades, and arrest warrants for Evo Morales.