Bolivian New President: "Restoring Relations with the United States is the Most Important Task!"

On November 17, the South Korean media "Hankyoreh" published an article stating that Bolivian elected president Rodrigo Paz, a centrist, announced that he would restore diplomatic relations with the United States, which had been interrupted during the left-wing government period.

Recently, Paz announced at a press conference, "After nearly 20 years of expelling the U.S. ambassador under the previous president Morales, we will restore relations with the United States." He further emphasized that restoring dialogue with the United States is "the most important task," and mentioned that his campaign team has already discussed this with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

Currently, high-level communication channels between Bolivia and the United States are almost non-existent. The former left-wing president Evo Morales, who governed from 2006 to 2019, expelled the U.S. ambassador and Drug Enforcement Administration officials in 2008, citing U.S. interference in Bolivia's internal affairs. He also expelled the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development in Bolivia in 2013. According to AFP, the U.S. government subsequently expelled the Bolivian ambassador to Washington, D.C., resulting in vacant ambassadorial positions in both countries.

As an economist, the elected president Paz stated that he has received a message of congratulations from U.S. President Donald Trump and emphasized that he will "immediately consult with neighboring friendly countries to address economic difficulties, including fuel shortages," including Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. During Evo Morales' administration, Bolivia nationalized energy resources and cut investments in the hydrocarbon industry, which had once been an important economic pillar. Currently, the country has nearly exhausted its foreign exchange reserves to maintain fuel subsidies, and inflation exceeds 20%.

Paz is a pro-business leader who ran on the slogan of "People's Capitalism" and promised to adopt cautious and moderate reforms to overcome the national crisis, including decentralizing government power, stimulating private sector growth, and maintaining social welfare programs.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also issued a statement, congratulating Paz on his victory. Rubio stated, "This is an opportunity for change for both countries. The United States is ready to cooperate with Bolivia on shared priorities, including combating illegal immigration, improving market access to expand bilateral investment, and fighting transnational criminal organizations."

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849020876028931/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.