As part of the 2025 General elections round-off, the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), in strategic alliance with Fundación CONSTRUIR and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), is relaunching VOTABUS, an innovative civic education campaign targeting Bolivian youth.
A training workshop was held for more than 50 facilitators, youth leaders, and coordinators, who will play an active role at each VOTABUS stop. The session enhanced knowledge of the Bolivian political system, potential conflict risks during the electoral cycle, and the key recommendations issued by national and international election observation missions.
During the workshop, presentations by Rafael Loayza and Carolina Floru, on behalf of ECES, sparked a dynamic exchange of questions and debates, reflecting the enthusiasm of the young participants engaged in this civic initiative.
A Tool for Youth Participation
The VOTABUS was consolidated in the first round through activities across five departments — La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Tarija, and Yacuiba — thanks to the technical and financial support of ECES. In this second phase, with the contribution of KAS, educational fairs will be added in El Alto and La Paz, bringing quality information to hundreds of young voters.
The itinerary for this stage includes two key stops:
- El Alto: October 8
- La Paz: October 10
The campaign will conclude with the traditional Democracy Fair, a plural space bringing together more than 30 civil society organisations to guide, inform, and raise awareness among citizens about their rights and responsibilities in the context of the second round of elections.
Promoting an Informed Vote
The VOTABUS reaffirms itself as a collective effort to empower young citizens, strengthen their analytical capacity, and promote an informed, free, and responsible vote.
The European Union leads international efforts in support of the 2025/26 Bolivian electoral process, including the EU EOM Bolivia 2025 and the ECES-implemented PRO-Elección Bolivia project, both carried out through the Foreign Policy Instrument (FPI), along with other election-related projects supported by the EU Delegation to Bolivia.
