The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) accompanied the official presentation of the Electoral Observation Plan for the 2026 Subnational Elections, promoted by the Ombudsman’s Office (Defensoría del Pueblo). The launch event was held in La Paz, Bolivia — 6 February 2026 and brought together journalists, media representatives, civil society organizations, and experts in electoral observation.
The Ombudsman’s Plan is based on three fundamental pillars with a central objective: to promote an enabling environment for subnational elections to be conducted in an inclusive and peaceful manner, with full respect for human rights. To this end, the Defensoría del Pueblo will deploy a total of 700 monitors nationwide, comprising 500 volunteer monitors and 200 institutional staff members, who will carry out monitoring activities before, during, and after election day in the 21 municipalities and departmental governments where the institution has offices.
During the presentation, the Ombudsman, Pedro Calizaya, expressed his appreciation for the technical assistance provided by the ECES. In addition, the Director of Complaints explained that the Plan includes citizen accompaniment mechanisms and reporting channels that enable the public to report rights violations or irregularities in real time, in order to ensure the full exercise of political and electoral rights for all.
The Ombudsman emphasized that this institutional strategy seeks to ensure that the electoral process takes place in an environment of respect, participation, and inclusion, with particular attention to the rights of vulnerable groups.
ECES's support for the launch of the Plan is made possible thanks to the financial assistance of the European Union and the Foreign Policy Instrument (FPI), which enable the provision of technical and methodological support to national institutions responsible for electoral observation and for promoting a democratic culture based on human rights. This accompaniment forms part of ECES’s ongoing cooperation to strengthen transparent, participatory, and credible electoral processes in Bolivia.
ECES will continue working in close coordination with the Defensoría del Pueblo and other national and regional stakeholders to contribute to the integrity of the electoral process ahead of the Subnational Elections of 22 March 2026.
