Chilean President Gabriel Boric arrived in La Paz to attend the inauguration ceremony of Rodrigo Paz as Bolivia's new leader, succeeding Luis Arce. This visit marks the first attendance by a Chilean head of state at a Bolivian investiture in 19 years, since Ricardo Lagos went to Evo Morales' in 2006. The encounter aims to strengthen bilateral relations, severed since 1978.
After closing his participation in the Leaders' Summit of COP30 in Belém do Pará, Brazil, on November 7, 2025, where he spoke at a session on energy transition, Boric flew to Iquique and then to La Paz. In his COP30 speech, he emphasized Chile's progress: "estamos haciendo la pega. Hace más de dos décadas, hemos aprovechado las riquezas del sol y del viento como una política de Estado", noting that wind and solar generation rose from 5% to 35% since the Paris Agreement, with fossil fuels dropping from 58% to 30% between 2015 and 2024, and coal from 41% to 16%.
The change of command ceremony takes place on November 8 at the Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional, with Boric accompanied by Undersecretary of Foreign Relations Gloria de la Fuente. A presidential statement highlights strengthened cooperation: the 2022 Consular Roadmap and 2023-2024 security agreements against transnational crime and human trafficking. Reactivated bodies include the Border and Integration Committee, the Transboundary Water Resources Table, and the ACE 22 Administrative Commission.
Rodrigo Paz, from the Christian Democratic Party, promised in August to revive ties: "Yo voy a reabrir las relaciones con Chile, voy a reabrir las relaciones con los Estados Unidos, voy a reabrir relaciones con todo aquel que sea un buen socio, para que Bolivia se reactive y la gente tenga empleo, trabajo y una vida digna en la patria". However, his plan to legalize "chutos" cars, many stolen from Chile, sparked controversy: "Parece que fuera un pecado tener un auto ‘chuto’ en Bolivia, cuando todo el mundo lo tiene (…) Los vamos a legalizar". He even suggested Chilean carabineros' involvement: "¿No serán ellos los ladrones, que están robando y poniendo esos productos en Bolivia?". Police data show a 185% rise in vehicle thefts in northern Chile from January to July 2025.
Minister Camila Vallejo stated: "La presencia del Presidente en el cambio de mando esperamos que abra un nuevo capítulo de las relaciones con Bolivia. Hace 20 años no teníamos la presencia de un Presidente de Chile. Es un hito. Nos interesa no solo tener buenas relaciones, sino tener efectos concretos en lo que nos interesa: la agenda de seguridad, seguir persiguiendo delincuentes, crimen organizado, enfrentando la migración irregular". Prior gestures include Luis Arce's attendance at Chile's 1973 coup commemoration and Bolivian officials at Chilean Independence Day celebrations. Boric congratulated Paz on social media for his electoral win, reaffirming commitment to bilateral cooperation.
