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Christian Democratic Party (Bolivia)

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Christian Democratic Party
Partido Demócrata Cristiano
Abbreviation PDC
Leader Rodrigo Paz
President Jose Roberto Castro Peñaranda[1]
Founders Remo Di Natale
Benjamín Miguel Harb
Javier Caballero
Emanuel Andrade
Founded February 6, 1954
Headquarters La Paz
Membership (2025) 42,603[2]
Ideology Conservatism[3]
Decentralisation[4]
Historical:
Third Way[5]
Political position Centre-right[6][7]
National affiliation None (since 2025)[8]
Regional affiliation Christian Democrat Organization of America
Colours Teal
Red
Senate 16 / 36
Deputies 49 / 130
Party flag
Website
Official website
Politics of Bolivia
Political parties
Elections

The Christian Democratic Party (Spanish: Partido Demócrata Cristiano, PDC) is a political party in Bolivia. Historically a Third Way[5] party, it has now been described as a centre-right[6][7] conservative[3] party that is supportive of capitalism[9] and decentralisation.[4]

History

Founded on 6 February 1954 as the Social Christian Party (Spanish: Partido Social Cristiano, PSC), it assumed its present name at a party congress in November 1964. Its intellectual foundations were study centres of the Church's social doctrine, the Bolivian Catholic Action and "Integral Humanism" (a centre for the study of the philosophy of Jacques Maritain). It remains a conventionally "tercerista" party, calling for a third way between capitalism and socialism – a way that would be more humane and truly democratic than either competing sociopolitical system. It was founded by Remo Di Natale, Benjamín Miguel Harb, Javier Caballero, and Emanuel Andrade.[5]

The Christian Democratic Party took part in the 1958 and 1962 congressional elections, and in 1962 Benjamín Miguel Harb became its first deputy. It boycotted the 1964 and 1966 presidential votes.[10]

In 1967, the party took part in the Government of the president of René Barrientos Ortuño, being given responsibility for the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. This was a major misjudgment by the PDC leadership. When military forces carried out bloody raids against mining camps, the Christian Democratic Party was forced to withdraw in anger and embarrassment, with severe internal divisions resulting. The party's youth organization had been discontented with the third-road philosophy for some time, and the mine camp invasions helped to crystallize their rebellion; they favored revolutionary socialism as a solution to Bolivia's dilemmas. In the late 1960s, the youth wing seceded to form the Revolutionary PDC which later became the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR). Several discontented members of the party, including Jose Luis Roca Garcia, also left to join General Alfredo Ovando Candía's short-lived nationalist revolutionary government in 1969–1970.[5]

Under the dictatorship of President Hugo Banzer Suárez the Christian Democrats fought for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the holding of elections, but its president Benjamín Miguel Harb was exiled in 1974 and its organizing secretary Felix Vargas forced to leave the country shortly afterwards.[11]

The PDC took part in 1978 general elections, running former Defense Minister General René Bernal Escalante, a leader of the right-wing faction which supported the Hugo Banzer Suárez regime.[12] After the 1978 election, René Bernal Escalante split from the PDC and founded the Christian Democratic Union.[12]

For the elections held on 1 July 1979, the party joined the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement-Alliance with four other parties — the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR), the Authentic Revolutionary Party (PRA), the Marxist Leninist Communist Party (PCML) and the Tupaj Katari Revolutionary Movement (MRTK). The Alliance ran a MNR's leader Víctor Paz Estenssoro as its presidential candidate and a PDC's leader Luis Ossio Sanjines as its vice-presidential candidate.[13] In 1979 the Christian Democratic Party won nine seats in the Chamber of Deputies and three in the Senate.

In 1980 the PDC took part in an electoral coalition Democratic Revolutionary Front-New Alternative backing ex-President Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas, which polled few votes; the leader of the PDC Benjamín Miguel Harb ran as vice-presidential candidate.[13]

Soon after the restoration of democratic government, in November 1982, Christian Democrats took a seat in the Hernán Siles Zuazo Government, but withdrew from the coalition in October 1984.[14]

The PDC took part in 1985 general elections, running Luis Ossio Sanjines as its presidential candidate and Jaime Ponce García as vice-presidential candidate, and won three seats in the Chamber of Deputies.[13] Although winning no legislative seats as an ally of the Nationalist Democratic Action in May 1989, Luis Ossio Sanjines, was elected vice-president of the Republic as a result of its adherence to the Nationalist Democratic Action – Revolutionary Left Movement pact (Patriotic Agreement) in August. The PDC campaigned as a member of the Patriotic Agreement in 1993 elections.[14] The Christian Democratic Party was one of the founding components of Social and Democratic Power (PODEMOS), for which it provided its electoral registration. Following the 2005 election, this alliance led the parliamentary opposition to President Evo Morales.[15][16]

The party joined Creemos for the 2020 Bolivian general election.

For the 2025 Bolivian general election, the PDC nominated senator from Tarija Rodrigo Paz as its presidential candidate.[17] In a major upset, Paz advanced to the second round of voting, where he defeated former President Jorge Quiroga, becoming Bolivia's first President to belong to the PDC.[18][19] The party also won 16 seats in the Senate and 49 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.[20] The electoral results gave the PDC the largest parliamentary bloc, allowing it to form a government.[21]

Election results

Presidential elections

Election Presidential nominee Votes % Votes % Result
First round Second round
1978 René Bernal Escalante 167,131 8.63% Lost
1979 Víctor Paz Estenssoro (MNR) 527,184 35.87% 64[22] 44.44% Lost
1980 Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas (OID) 39,401 3.01% Lost
1985 Luis Ossio 24,079 1.60% Lost
1989 Hugo Banzer (ADN) 357,298 25.24% Lost
1993 346,865 21.05% Lost
1997 484,705 22.26% 118[22] 79.73% Elected
2002 Did not contest
2005 Jorge Quiroga (PODEMOS) 821,745 28.59% Lost
2009 Did not contest
2014 Jorge Quiroga 467,311 9.04% Lost
2019 Chi Hyun Chung 539,081 8.78% Annulled
2020 Luis Fernando Camacho (Creemos) 862,186 14.00% Lost
2025 Rodrigo Paz 1,717,532 32.06% 3,506,458 54.89% Elected

Chamber of Deputies and Senate elections

Election Party leader Votes % Chamber seats +/- Position Senate seats +/- Position Status
1958 Benjamín Miguel Harb 2,888 0.66% 0 / 68 New 4th 0 / 18 New 4th Extra-parliamentary
1960 Did not contest 0 / 68 0 0 / 18 0 Extra-parliamentary
1962 Benjamín Miguel Harb 19,825 1.90% 1 / 72 1 4th 0 / 27 0 2nd Opposition
1964 228 0.02% 1 / 73 0 4th 0 / 27 0 2nd Opposition
1966 Boycotted 0 / 102 1 0 / 27 0 Extra-parliamentary
1979 Luis Ossio As part of MNRA 9 / 117 9 4th 3 / 27 3 3rd Snap election
1980 As part of FDR–NA 5 / 130 4 5th 0 / 27 3 5th Military junta (1980-1982)
Coalition (1982-1984)
Opposition (1984-1985)
1985 24,079 1.60% 3 / 130 2 8th 0 / 27 0 4th Support
1989 In coalition with ADN 0 / 130 3 6th 0 / 27 0 5th Extra-parliamentary
1993[23] As part of AP 0 / 130 0 9th 0 / 27 0 5th Extra-parliamentary
1997[23] In coalition with ADN and NFR 0 / 130 0 8th 0 / 27 0 6th Extra-parliamentary
2002 Did not contest 0 / 130 0 0 / 27 0 Extra-parliamentary
2005 As part of PODEMOS 43 / 130 43 2nd 13 / 27 13 2nd Opposition
2009 Did not contest 0 / 130 43 0 / 27 13 Extra-parliamentary
2014 Jorge Quiroga 454,233 9.06% 10 / 130 10 3rd 2 / 36 2 3rd Opposition
2019 522,582 8.80% 9 / 130 1 3rd 0 / 36 2 4th Annulled
2020 As part of Creemos 16 / 130 7 3rd 4 / 36 4 4th Opposition
2025 Roberto Castro Peñaranda 1,683,891 32.15% 47 / 130 29 1st 16 / 36 12 1st Government

References

  1. Back to citation "Información general de la organización política". Órgano Electoral Plurinacional (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-07-19.
  2. Back to citation "Ranking: ¿Qué partido tiene más militantes en Bolivia?". eju.tv (in Spanish). 25 February 2025.
  3. Back to citation occurrence 3.0 Back to citation occurrence 3.1 Martin, Nik (2025-08-11). "Bolivia: New president Paz vows free market reforms". Deutsche Welle.
  4. Back to citation occurrence 4.0 Back to citation occurrence 4.1 "Bolivia elects center-right president Rodrigo Paz, ending two decades of socialism". The New Indian Express. 20 October 2025.
  5. Back to citation occurrence 5.0 Back to citation occurrence 5.1 Back to citation occurrence 5.2 Back to citation occurrence 5.3 Political parties of the Americas: Canada, Latin America, and the West Indies. Greenwood Press, 1982. P. 131.
  6. Back to citation occurrence 6.0 Back to citation occurrence 6.1 "El candidato Rodrigo Paz vence a Jorge Quiroga con el voto de los bolivianos en el exterior" (in Spanish). EFE. 2025-08-19. Retrieved 2025-08-20 – via Yahoo News.
  7. Back to citation occurrence 7.0 Back to citation occurrence 7.1 "Elecciones en Bolivia: quién es Rodrigo Paz Pereira, sorpresivo ganador de la primera vuelta". PAGINA12 (in Spanish). 2025-08-18. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
  8. Back to citation The party was formerly part of Creemos (2020–2025), Social Democratic Power (2005–2008), Democratic Revolutionary Front – New Alternative (1980) and Revolutionary Nationalist Movement – Alliance (1979).
  9. Back to citation Röhrs, Christine-Felice (22 October 2025). "Capitalism for all". IPS Journal. ""Capitalismo para todos": En qué consiste el plan de Rodrigo Paz, el inesperado ganador de la primera vuelta en Bolivia" ["Capitalism for all": what is the plan of Rodrigo Paz, the unexpected winner of the first round in Bolivia]. Infobae (in Spanish). 18 August 2025. "Rodrigo Paz propone modelo de 'capitalismo para todos', que incluye hasta legalizar los autos 'chutos'" [Rodrigo Paz proposes model of ‘capitalism for all’, which includes even legalising 'stolen' cars]. Erbol (in Spanish). 27 June 2025. Zegarra, Gonzalo; Castro, Manuela (19 October 2025). "Rodrigo Paz, el heredero político nacido en el exilio que busca su propio lugar en la historia de Bolivia" [Rodrigo Paz, the exile-born political heir seeking his own place in Bolivian history]. CNN en Español (in Spanish). "Paz or 'Tuto'? Meet the two candidates who will duel for Bolivian Presidency". Buenos Aires Times. 18 August 2025. Stanco, Jenna (18 November 2025). "Bolivia Enters New Era As Rodrigo Paz Promises "Capitalism For All"". The Organization for World Peace. Crabtree, John (22 October 2025). "Bolivia's age of experiments". Engelsberg Ideas. Flores, Paola; DeBre, Isabel (1 September 2025). "Presidential hopeful Rodrigo Paz sees 'capitalism for all' as answer to Bolivia's crisis". Associated Press.
  10. Back to citation Political parties of the world. Longman, 1980. P. 28.
  11. Back to citation Political parties of the world. Longman, 1988. P. 66.
  12. Back to citation occurrence 12.0 Back to citation occurrence 12.1 Political handbook of the world 1981. New York, 1981. P. 70.
  13. Back to citation occurrence 13.0 Back to citation occurrence 13.1 Back to citation occurrence 13.2 Elections in the Americas: a data handbook / ed. by Dieter Nohlen, Vol. 2. [Oxford] [u.a.]: Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. P.151.
  14. Back to citation occurrence 14.0 Back to citation occurrence 14.1 Political handbook of the world 2005-2006. New York, 2006. P. 126.
  15. Back to citation Political handbook of the world 2008. New York, 2008. P. 138.
  16. Back to citation Luizaga, Dennis (2013-12-10). "Cinco fuerzas de la democracia pactada buscan reflotar en 2014". La Razón. La Paz, Bolivia. Archived from the original on 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  17. Back to citation "Rodrigo Paz es el candidato a la presidencia por el PDC". Agencia de Noticias Fides (in Spanish). 2025-08-18. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  18. Back to citation "Three Things to Know About Bolivia's 2025 First-Round Election Results". AS/COA. 19 August 2025.
  19. Back to citation Elliott, Lucinda; Machicao, Monica (2025-10-19). "Centrist Rodrigo Paz wins Bolivian presidency, ending nearly 20 years of leftist rule". Reuters.
  20. Back to citation "PDC y Libre liderarán el Parlamento en Bolivia y el MAS quedará solo con dos diputados". Swissinfo (in Spanish). 26 August 2025.
  21. Back to citation "Bolivia's Paz promises 'capitalism for all' as he takes office". France 24. 20 October 2025.
  22. Back to citation occurrence 22.0 Back to citation occurrence 22.1 After no candidate won more than 50% of the vote in the general election, the National Congress was required to elect the president in an indirect second round.
  23. Back to citation occurrence 23.0 Back to citation occurrence 23.1 The amount of seats won by PDC among those won by the coalition is uncertain.
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