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A senior Bolivian general has been arrested after armoured vehicles rammed the doors of the government palace in what the president called a coup attempt.
Forces led by army chief General Juan Jose Zuniga seemed to take control of the government of president Luis Arce as they vowed to “restore democracy”, but he pledged to stand firm and named a new army commander who immediately ordered the troops to stand down.
The soldiers soon pulled back, along with a line of military vehicles, ending the rebellion after three hours, and hundreds of Mr Arce’s supporters rushed the square outside the palace, waving Bolivian flags, singing the national anthem and cheering.
Government minister Eduardo del Castillo said former navy Vice Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador was also taken into custody.
“What was this group’s goal? The goal was to overturn the democratically elected authority,” Mr del Castillo told journalists in announcing the arrests.
The apparent coup attempt came after the nation of 12 million people faced months of tensions between Mr Arce and his one-time ally, former leftist president Evo Morales, over control of the ruling party. It also came amid a severe economic crisis.
Kremlin says it hopes calm can be restored in Bolivia after attempted coup
The Kremlin has said it hoped calm would be restored in Bolivia in the wake of an attempted coup, after the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the plotters and expressed Moscow’s support for the government of President Luis Arce.
Bolivian armed forces pulled back from the presidential palace in La Paz on Wednesday evening and a general was arrested after Arce slammed a “coup” attempt against the government and called for international support.
“This is an internal Bolivian affair. It is very important that our Bolivian friends deal with their own problems within the framework of constitutional legality,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“We wish that country a speedy return to calm, and we hope that this will be the case. Of course, it is very important that there was no interference by third countries in what happened in Bolivia.”
A second military official is detained following coup attempt
Here we have some background on the coup attempt
The apparent coup attempt in Bolivia comes after the nation of 12 million people faced months of tensions between president Luis Arce and his one-time ally, former leftist president Evo Morales, over control of the ruling party.
These tenions have been worsened by a severe economic crisis that has left many Bolivians struggling with a cost of living crisis.
The clashes have paralysed the government's efforts to deal with the economic crisis. Mr Morales's allies in Congress have consistently thwarted Mr Arce's attempts to take on debt to relieve some of the pressure.
Dismissed army chief General Juan Jose Zuniga, who initiated the coup attempt, referenced that paralysis during the rebellion, telling reporters the military was tired of the infighting and was seeking "to restore democracy".
"We are listening to the cry of the people because for many years an elite has taken control of the country," he said, adding that politicians are "destroying the country: look at what situation we are in, what crisis they have left us in.
"The armed forces intend to restore the democracy, to make it a true democracy."
Army general presented arrives at first hearing after attempted coup
Eight injured in protests following coup attempt
Bolivia’s minister of health, Maria Renee Castro, said eight people had been injured due to impact from pellets following the coup attempt and ensuing civilian protests.
Civilians gathered in protest as hooded and armed individuals surrounded the square, leading to clashes and injuries, the daily La Razon reported.
Now-sacked general Juan Jose Zuniga, who led the coup attempt, was later detained.
President Luis Arce’s career has mirrored Bolivia’s economic trajectory from boom to bust
The president of Bolivia, who was the target of a failed coup Wednesday, is a 60-year-old leftist whom many see as an opponent of Washington-backed free-market and neoliberal policies.
Luis Arce, who studied economics in London, was economy minister under President Evo Morales, whose time in office from 2006 to 2019 made him an icon of the Latin American left.
After Morales left office, Arce became president in November 2020, following Jeanine Añez’s short time in office.
Bolivian television showed Arce confronting the apparent leader of the rebellion — the general commander of the army — in the hallway of the government palace Wednesday night.
“I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination,” Arce said.
Arce named a new army commander, who immediately ordered the troops to stand down. Their retreat ended the rebellion after just three hours.
Arce’s career has mirrored Bolivia’s economic trajectory from boom to bust. He worked in the Central Bank from 1987 to 2006 and worked for Morales administering a bonanza in metals and hydrocarbons prices that came to be known as the “Bolivian Miracle.”
But by the time Arce took office, Bolivia was hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and social tensions set off by Morales’ 2019 departure after street protests and extreme pressure from the military.
Neoliberal reforms in the 1990s helped Bolivia become a significant energy producer, and it moved from a low-income to a middle-income nation, according to the World Bank. The percentage of people in extreme poverty fell to 15 per cent, the state built highways and cable cars, and cities grew.
But incomes began to fall in 2014.
Assuming the presidency, Arce described his country’s recession as the worst in 40 years.
He recently said gasoline and diesel production no longer covered national consumption, and that the country had to import 86 per cent of its diesel and 56 per cent of its gasoline because of a lack of exploration and production.
Households also have been forced to grapple with high food prices.
Meanwhile, tensions between Morales and his party continued to rise.
In November, Arce criticized his opponents and said they “dreamed of new coup d’état”.
— Associated Press
ICYMI: Bolivian president Arce thwarts coup attempt as armed forces withdraw from palace
Bolivian armed forces withdrew from the presidential palace in La Paz after president Luis Arce denounced an attempted coup led by General Juan Jose Zuniga, who had recently been stripped of his command.
Mr Arce called for public and international support to defend democracy.
Gen Zuniga’s troops had earlier stormed the palace but retreated after Arce reinstated control and swore in a new military commander, Reuters reported.
The US and regional leaders condemned the coup attempt, while ex-president Evo Morales mobilized his supporters to defend the government.
The political tension arises ahead of the 2025 general elections, with Morales planning to run against Arce.
Who is Juan Jose Zuniga – army commander who led a coup in Bolivia?
A controversial figure in Bolivian politics, Juan Jose Zuniga – arrested since the attempted coup – opposes former Bolivian president Evo Morales, who still holds significant influence in the country. Current president Luis Arce is from the same party as Morales.
Zuniga has been vocal in his criticism of Mr Morales, who plans to run for president again in 2025.
The now-sacked army chief declared Mr Morales “could not be the president of this country again” and vowed not to let him “trample on the constitution and disobey the public’s mandate”.
Accused of embezzling nearly 2.7m bolivianos [£286,421] during his military career, Gen Zuniga’s understanding of political dynamics helped him rise in the armed forces, according to according to El Deber newspaper.
Mr Morales has also accused Gen Zuniga of leading a military organisation plotting against him.
Watch: Truck rams gates of Bolivia presidential palace
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2024-06-27 09:00:11Z
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