Bolivia experienced hours of uncertainty this Wednesday after a group of soldiers mobilized in the center of La Paz, something that President Luis Arce described as an attempted “coup d’état.”
Soldiers and military vehicles took control of the Plaza Murillo in La Paz for a few hours, and entered the Quemado Palace, the former headquarters of the government, led by General Juan José Zúñiga, who this Tuesday had been dismissed as head of the Bolivian Army by some statements he had made about former President Evo Morales.
After the military’s actions began, President Arce gave a televised speech surrounded by members of his cabinet in which he called for the mobilization of the people and said: “We are firm to confront any coup attempt”.
“We want to urge everyone to defend democracy and here we are in Casa Grande with the entire cabinet, with our social organizations. We salute you, the social organizations, and we cordially invite you to once again show democracy to the Bolivian people,” said the president.
The soldiers and military vehicles that had taken control of Plaza Murillo They began their withdrawal minutes later.
Zúñiga had previously told the press that there was a “mobilization of all military units” due to “the situation in the country”.
“We are listening to the cry of the people. Because for many years, an elite has taken charge of the country. Owners of the State, vandals are in the different structures of the State, destroying the country. The Armed Forces intend to restructure democracy,” declared Zúñiga, who said that he sought the release of “all political prisoners.”
Images on social networks later showed Arce inside the Quemado palace standing up to Zúñiga and ordering the withdrawal of the military, which They had entered the building by forcing the door with an armored vehicle.
Later, in a televised ceremony from the Casa Grande del Pueblo, the current seat of the Bolivian government, Arce appointed new military leaders, including General José Wilson Sánchez, who assumed general command of the Army.
After being sworn in, the soldier declared: “No one wants to see the image we are seeing in the streets. That is why now in my capacity as commander… I ask, I order, I order, that all personnel who are mobilized on the streets must return to their units”.
While this event was taking place at the government headquarters, the members of the army who had mobilized in the center of La Paz began to leave Plaza Murillo.
Once the troops had withdrawn, Luis Arce went out to the presidential balcony and in front of a crowd he thanked the citizens who mobilized.
“With you, with the people, we will never give up. “No one can take away the democracy that we have won at the polls and with the blood of the Bolivian people,” Arce stated.
Zúñiga’s arrest and his controversial words
After the Attorney General of Bolivia issued an arrest warrant against Juan José Zúñiga, he was arrested. At the time of his arrest, The military man accused Luis Arce of staging the coup attempt to “raise their popularity.”
“On Sunday at La Salle School I met with the president and the president told me that ‘the situation is very screwed, this week is going to be critical.’ So it is necessary to prepare something to raise my popularity,’” Zúñiga said in front of the cameras at the time of his arrest.
The general continued describing his alleged conversation with Arce, in which he asked him if they should “take out the armored vehicles?” and he responded affirmatively: “Take out.” According to Zúñiga, that same night preparations began, mobilizing military vehicles.
Before he was taken into custody, Zúñiga claimed that it was a “self-coup.”
Later, authorities announced the arrest of a second person involved in Wednesday’s events, former Bolivian Navy commander Juan Arnez Salvador.
Words against Evo Morales
Former President Evo Morales – leader of the ruling Movement towards Socialism party – described what happened this Wednesday as “a coup” on going.
“At this moment, personnel from the Armed Forces and tanks are deployed in Plaza Murillo. They called an emergency meeting at the Army General Staff in Miraflores at 3:00 pm in combat uniforms,” he wrote in X.
Specifically, Juan José Zúñiga was dismissed as head of the Army on Tuesday after making statements against Morales and stating that “he can no longer be president of this country,” in reference to the former president’s aspirations to run for office again.
“Where appropriate I will not allow you to trample on the Constitutionto disobey the mandate of the people,” Zúñiga said in a television interview, ensuring that the Armed Forces are “the armed arm of the people, the armed arm of the country,” and threatening to arrest Morales.
The underlying crisis
Arce and Morales, who were once allies, have maintained a political confrontation in recent months for the future of the Movement towards Socialism (MAS) party and the former president’s attempt to seek a new mandate.
In various public statements, Arce said he was the target of a “soft coup” that aims to “shorten mandates” and behind which would be Morales’ followers.
In turn, the former president has denounced that Arce seeks to undermine his aspirations for a new presidential candidacy by taking over the leadership of the MAS.
Morales left power in 2019, after a military uprising following the first round of the presidential elections. He then left the country with support from Mexico, but returned once Arce returned the MAS to power.
In parallel, Bolivia faces a serious economic crisis due to lack of fuel and shortage of foreign currency. This has generated union mobilizations for which Arce blames Morales.
Condemnation of other presidents
Several Latin American presidents condemned the actions of the military against the Bolivian government this Wednesday.
“We express the strongest condemnation of the attempted coup d’état in Bolivia. Our total support and support for President Luis Alberto Arce Catacora, authentic democratic authority of that brotherly town and country,” said the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Gustavo PetroPresident of Colombiaexpressed his “total rejection of the military coup in Bolivia.”
“I invite all the Bolivian people to democratic resistance. Latin America must unite in favor of democracy. The Colombian embassy must grant refuge to the persecuted. There will be no diplomatic relationship between Colombia and the dictatorship,” he added.
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, He stated: “Brazil’s position is clear. I am a lover of democracy and I want it to prevail throughout Latin America. We condemn any form of coup d’état in Bolivia and reaffirm our commitment to the people and democracy of our brother country, presided over by Luis Arce.”
Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro wrote on his X account: “From Venezuela we denounce and strongly reject the attempted coup d’état against Bolivian democracy; “The forces that have betrayed their oath of loyalty lay siege to the Presidential Palace in La Paz.”
“We join the call for CELAC made by President Xiomara Castro to strongly condemn the fascism that seeks to break the legitimate democracy of the Plurinational State of Bolivia,” said the president.
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- The unprecedented economic measures adopted by the Bolivian government to combat the serious shortage of dollars in the country