The bipartisan leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Monday called for the US and Bolivia to exchange ambassadors again for the first time in nearly two decades, following the country’s election of a new pro-business, centrist president.
Sens. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., in a joint statement first shared with Semafor congratulated Rodrigo Paz on his electoral victory Sunday and said the elections “demonstrate the will of the Bolivian people to chart a new course for their country and mark a victory for peaceful, democratic change in the region.”
“Bolivia and the United States share significant diplomatic, economic and security interests, and it is our hope that this election will serve as a starting point to deepen those connections,” Risch and Shaheen wrote. “The United States and Bolivia have not exchanged ambassadors since 2008. To strengthen our relationship, we support efforts to upgrade our diplomatic presence in the country.”
Paz’s election represents a potential turning point in US-Bolivia relations, which soured after then-President Evo Morales expelled the US ambassador to Bolivia in 2008. Paz, whose election ends two decades of socialist rule in Bolivia, has expressed a desire to strengthen ties with the US and increase foreign direct investment.
The State Department also congratulated Paz on his victory, the first time in years the US has sent a similar message to a Bolivian president-elect.