The Office of the Ombudsman and CEAE strengthen coordination for the observation process of the 2026 Subnational Elections

La Paz, Bolivia – December 2025.
The Ombudsman, Pedro Calisaya, together with his ad hoc electoral observation team and representatives from the Directorates of Planning and Conflict Management, held a working meeting with the Coordinator of the PRO-Election Bolivia Project, Luis Castellar, and CEAE’s Senior Expert on Electoral Observation and Civil Society, Carolina Floru, with the objective of assessing the technical cooperation provided during the 2025 General Elections and outlining a joint roadmap toward the Subnational Elections scheduled for March 2026.

During the meeting, the Ombudsman expressed his appreciation for the technical assistance provided by CEAE during both the first and second rounds of the electoral process, highlighting the added value this support brought to institutional strengthening and to the deployment of national electoral observation. He also formally requested CEAE’s continued support for the upcoming subnational electoral cycle.

The discussion addressed the new political and administrative context of the country following the installation of the newly elected government, as well as the institutional challenges faced by the Plurinational Electoral Body (OEP) in the ongoing process of selecting and appointing national and departmental electoral officials. The meeting also examined the complex political, social, and economic environment in which the subnational elections will take place, characterized by diverse territorial and thematic conflict dynamics.

The Office of the Ombudsman requested technical assistance to define the characteristics of the subnational electoral process and, based on these, to identify the priorities for the electoral observation exercise, taking into account the differentiated capacities of its 21 offices nationwide. The institution emphasized that its work will focus on the protection of human rights, the attention to vulnerable populations, and the monitoring of the various conflict contexts affecting the country.

As an outcome of the meeting, both institutions agreed to move forward with a second working session aimed at establishing methodological and institutional agreements for the design of the observation process for the Subnational Elections of 22 March 2026.

CEAE reaffirms its commitment to continue supporting the Office of the Ombudsman and Bolivian institutions in strengthening transparent, inclusive, and rights-respecting electoral processes—activities made possible thanks to the financial support of the European Union and its Foreign Policy Instrument (FPI).