Rodrigo Paz takes office in Bolivia and excludes indigenous people from his government

The center-right president of Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz (Christian Democratic Party), swore in his ministerial cabinet this Sunday (9), marking a political shift in the country by completely excluding indigenous and popular representatives — groups that were at the center of government decisions during almost two decades of socialist administrations. The information from Folha de S.Paulo.

According to the 2024 census, 38.7% of the 11.3 million Bolivians identify as indigenous, mainly from the Quechua and Aymara ethnicities. The absence of names from these groups in the new team was seen as a symbol of rupture with the representation model adopted by Evo Morales (2006-2019) and Luis Arce (2020-2025), which included peasant leaders and community leaders in ministries.

Technical office and business profile

Instead of popular representatives, Paz opted for technocrats and allies linked to the private sector. Among the main names are José Luis Lupo (Presidency), Fernando Aramayo (Chancellery), Marco Antonio Oviedo (Government), Gabriel Espinoza (Economy) and Mauricio Medinacelli (Hydrocarbons and Energy).
In his inauguration speech, the president stated that it is “time to give space to meritocracy, efficiency and transformation of the State”, justifying the absence of social movements in his administration.

Economic priorities and symbolic tension

Paz, who took office on Saturday (8), ordered ministers to face the fuel shortage, the lack of dollars in banks and the 19% inflation recorded in October.

The inauguration ceremony also highlighted symbolic changes. The president restored the use of the Bible and the crucifix — replaced in previous governments by indigenous symbols — and removed the multicolored Wiphala flag from the facade of the presidential palace, a gesture that generated a strong reaction from former president Evo Morales.

“Removing it is an offense to the indigenous peasant movement and an attempt to erase collective memory. From a state of inclusion we have moved to one of exclusion,” Morales wrote on social media.

Meanwhile, the former president remains in Chapare, where he faces an arrest warrant for a case of child trafficking, an accusation he denies. The contrast between the new government composition and Bolivia’s ethnic diversity reinforces the political watershed that marks the beginning of Rodrigo Paz’s administration.

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with agency information