La Paz, Bolivia — Led by the governor general who has vowed to “restore democracy”, armored vehicles broke down the doors of Bolivia’s government palace on Wednesday in what the president called an attempted coup, later temporarily retreating – South American The country is facing an unprecedented crisis, going through political infighting and a financial disaster.
Within hours the country’s population of 120 million witnessed an unexpected turn of events as troops seized control of the government of President Luis Arce. He vowed to start the company and nominated an ancient military commander, who immediately ordered the troops to leave.
The warriors immediately trailed a chain of army cars, and completed the climb in just three hours. Later, scores of Arce’s supporters crowded outside the palace, waving Bolivian flags, singing one song as the national anthem, and cheering.
The retreat of the warriors led to the arrest of military chief General Juan José Zúñiga, after which the Attorney General launched an investigation.
Government minister Eduardo del Castillo said that along with Zuniga, former army vice admiral Juan Arnaiz Salvador was detained.
“What was the goal of this group? The goal was to overturn a democratically elected authority,” del Castillo told reporters as he announced the arrest.
“Everything is now under control,” Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo said late Wednesday. Surrounded by ancient army chiefs appointed by Arce, Novillo said Bolivia was experiencing a “failed coup”.
The apparent coup attempt came as the country faced months of tension and political infighting between Arce and his one-time best friend, former leftist President Evo Morales, over control of the ruling party. It also came amid a severe economic crisis.
The clashes have paralyzed the federal government’s efforts to deal with the commercial disaster. For example, Morales’s allies in Congress have consistently stymied Arce’s efforts to tackle the debt in a way that is most strained.
Zuniga told reporters that the military was not interested in infighting and was trying to “restore democracy”, referring to the ongoing standoff across the country.
“We are listening to the cries of the people because for too many years an elite class has taken control of the country,” he said. He said politicians were “destroying the country: look at the situation we are in, what a crisis they have left us in.” In.”
“The armed forces intend to restore democracy, make it a true democracy,” he said.
The rapidly unfolding crisis began in the afternoon when the streets of La Paz began to fill with soldiers. Arce tweeted that the deployment of troops was irregular and soon after he and other political figures warned of a coup attempt.
Nevertheless, the apparent effort to remove the sitting president from office seemed to lack any meaningful support, and even Arce’s rivals closed ranks to defend democracy and reject the insurrection.
In a twist, Zúñiga claimed in comments to journalists before his arrest that Arce himself had asked the general to storm the palace as part of a political move. “The president told me: ‘The situation is very bad, very serious. It is necessary to prepare something to increase my popularity'”, Zuniga declared, quoting the Bolivian head.
Zuniga said he asked Arce if he should “remove the armored vehicle?” And Arce replied, “Take them out.”
Justice Minister Iván Lima denied Zúñiga’s claims and said the general was lying and trying to justify his actions, for which he said he would face justice.
“Prosecutors will seek a maximum prison sentence of 15 to 20 years for Zuniga for attacking democracy and the Constitution,” Lima said via social media platform X.
The spectacle stunned Bolivians, who were no strangers to political unrest; Morales was removed from the presidency following a political crisis earlier in 2019.
As the crisis unfolded on Wednesday, Arce confronted Zuniga in a palace corridor, as video on Bolivian television showed. “I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your troops, and I will not allow this disobedience,” Arcee said.
Surrounded by ministers, he said: “Here we are determined to confront any coup attempt in Casa Grande. “We need the Bolivian people to organize.”
Less than an hour later, Arce announced the new chiefs of staff of the army, navy and air force amid a roar of supporters, and thanked the country’s police and regional allies for standing with him. Arce said that the soldiers who rose up against him were “tainting the uniform” of the army.
Newly named Army Chief of Staff Jose Wilson Sanchez said, “I order them all to return to their units.” “Nobody wants the images we are seeing on the streets.”
Shortly thereafter, armored vehicles rolled out of the plaza, followed by scores of military fighters, as police in rebel gear set up a blockade outside the government palace.
The incident was expressed concern by various regional leaders, including the Group of American States, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, the leader of Honduras and former Bolivian leaders.
Gustavo Flores-Macias, an instructor of government and community coverage specializing in Latin American languages at Cornell College, said it was notable that international leaders and organizations were condemning the coup attempt as the trend spread.
“If we allow disruption of the constitutional order in Bolivia, it could have a demonstrable effect,” Flores-Macias told Untouched York in an interview with The Associated Press. “It could send a signal that if it’s OK for this to happen in Bolivia, it can happen elsewhere too.”
Protests have intensified in recent months in Bolivia over the rapid decline of the economy from one of the continent’s fastest-growing to one of its most troubled in the past 20 years.
Arce and Morales are vying to lead Bolivia’s splinter Movement for Socialism, known by its Spanish acronym MAS, ahead of elections in 2025.
After Wednesday’s chaos, local media reports showed Bolivians stocking up on food and other essential items in supermarkets, wondering what would happen later.
However, addressing supporters outside the presidential palace, the country’s vice president, David Choquehuanca, vowed: “The people of Bolivia will never again allow coup attempts.”
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Janetsky reported from Mexico Town, and Anita Snow contributed to this document from Phoenix, Arizona.
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