<h1>Bolivia runoff: two conservative challengers clash over immediate IMF austerity versus gradual reforms amid economic crisis</h1> Bolivia's presidential runoff pits two conservative challengers against each other after two decades of one-party rule, with voters seeking solutions to a severe economic crisis marked by dollar shortages, 23% inflation and fuel scarcity. Both candidates pledge market-oriented reforms-ending a fixed exchange rate, restructuring state companies and attracting foreign investment-but diverge on speed and scope: one proposes immediate IMF-backed austerity and privatization, the other favors gradual subsidy phase-outs and targeted social protections while mobilizing domestic funds and anti-corruption measures. The election outcome will reshape fiscal policy, social stability risks, and Bolivia's international alignments.