Economist Luis Arce, who gave the big surprise by winning the Bolivian presidency in the first round on Sunday according to the quick count, benefited from the political capital built for decades by former president Evo Morales.

His unexpected victory in the first round, not anticipated by the polls, paves the way for Morales to return to Bolivia from his exile in Argentina and serves the leader of the Movement to Socialism (MAS) to assert himself politically, 11 months after his resignation amid a social upheaval.

“The MAS has won the elections widely, including the Chamber of Senators and Deputies. Bolivia has Arce as president (...) Lucho (nickname of the MAS candidate) will be our president (...), he will return to our country the path of economic growth”, said the former Bolivian president from Buenos Aires.

Arce won the elections as the standard-bearer for the economic boom of the Morales government (2006-2019) when he was Minister of Finance.

A 57-year-old economist, he studied at the state Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in La Paz and did a master's degree at the British University of Warwick.

He worked 18 years at the Central Bank, where he held various positions, and was Minister of Economy and Finance for most of Morales' term, with a hiatus of 18 months. He has a more technocratic than political profile. He also devoted himself to teaching and headed numerous courses at universities in Bolivia, the United States, and other Latin American countries, including Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Buenos Aires.

Under Morales' mandate, Bolivia raised its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from USD 9.5 billion annually to USD 40.8 billion and reduced poverty from 60% to 37%, according to official data.

The bonanza made it possible to pay bonuses to thousands of pregnant women, school children and the elderly, and millionaire investments to try to industrialize lithium and natural gas.

Arce resigned as Minister in 2017 after suffering from kidney cancer. After a long recovery in Brazil, he returned to Bolivia and resumed the job.

The father of three children, Arce was born on September 28, 1963 in La Paz into a middle-class family. His parents were teachers.

His origin and training are different from those of Morales, who was born into a family of modest peasants and llama herders, worked throughout his childhood, so he went to school for a short time, and his mother tongue is Aymara.

While he always declared himself a left-wing person, he was never considered an orthodox Marxist or a traditional communist militant.

SHOTLIST:

1. Various of La Paz
2. Various of the government palace of Bolivia
3. Various of the flag of Bolivia and the native peoples
4. Various of Luis Arce at a press conference
5. Various of Luis Arce with Evo Morales in an act in Argentina
6. Various of press conference of Evo Morales and Luis Arce
7. Various of conference of Evo Morales in Argentina
8. Various of act of Evo Morales in Argentina

STORYLINE:

Economist Luis Arce, who gave the big surprise by winning the Bolivian presidency in the first round on Sunday according to the quick count, benefited from the political capital built for decades by former president Evo Morales.

His unexpected victory in the first round, not anticipated by the polls, paves the way for Morales to return to Bolivia from his exile in Argentina and serves the leader of the Movement to Socialism (MAS) to assert himself politically, 11 months after his resignation amid a social upheaval.

“The MAS has won the elections widely, including the Chamber of Senators and Deputies. Bolivia has Arce as president (...) Lucho (nickname of the MAS candidate) will be our president (...), he will return to our country the path of economic growth”, said the former Bolivian president from Buenos Aires.

Arce won the elections as the standard bearer for the economic boom of the Morales government (2006-2019), when he was Minister of Finance.

A 57-year-old economist, he studied at the state Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in La Paz and did a master's degree at the British University of Warwick.

He worked 18 years at the Central Bank, where he held various positions, and was Minister of Economy and Finance for most of Morales' term, with a hiatus of 18 months. He has a more technocratic than political profile. He also devoted himself to teaching and headed numerous courses at universities in Bolivia, the United States, and other Latin American countries, including Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Buenos Aires.

Under Morales' mandate, Bolivia raised its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from USD 9.5 billion annually to USD 40.8 billion and reduced poverty from 60% to 37%, according to official data.

The bonanza made it possible to pay bonuses to thousands of pregnant women, school children and the elderly, and millionaire investments to try to industrialize lithium and natural gas.

Arce resigned as Minister in 2017 after suffering from kidney cancer. After a long recovery in Brazil, he returned to Bolivia and resumed the job.

The father of three children, Arce was born on September 28, 1963 in La Paz into a middle-class family. His parents were teachers.

His origin and training are different from those of Morales, who was born into a family of modest peasants and llama herders, worked throughout his childhood, so he went to school for a short time, and his mother tongue is Aymara.

While he always declared himself a left-wing person, he was never considered an orthodox Marxist or a traditional communist militant.