The presidential palace and Congress are located in the central Plaza Murillo plaza, where military units under the command of General Juan Jose Zuniga, who was just relieved of his military command, had assembled earlier in the day. An armored vehicle rammed a door of the presidential mansion, and soldiers rushed in.
The nation is currently dealing with an attempted coup d’état. Speaking from the presidential palace with armed soldiers outside, Arce stated, “Today the country faces interests so that democracy in Bolivia is cut short.
“Today, the people of Bolivia are called upon. The Bolivian people must band together and mobilize in support of democracy in opposition to the coup d’état.”
A few hours later, police seize control of the square and military leave it. Zuniga was taken into custody by Bolivian officials, although it was not immediately apparent where they were going.
Arce installed José Wilson Sanchez, who had served as Zuniga’s military commander, inside the presidential palace. He demanded the restoration of peace and order.
“I order that all personnel mobilized on the streets return to their units,” Sanchez stated. “We entreat that the blood of our soldiers not be spilled.”
The US said it was keeping a careful eye on the situation and advised moderation.
A serious schism in the ruling socialist party and increased political uncertainty have resulted from leftist former President Evo Morales’s plans to run against erstwhile ally Arce in the general elections scheduled for 2025 in Bolivia.
A lot of people oppose Morales’ comeback. Morales led the country from 2006 to 2019, when he was overthrown in the face of intense opposition and a conservative temporary administration took over. Arce went on to win the 2020 election.
Arce removed Zuniga from his position because Zuniga stated lately that Morales shouldn’t be allowed to run for president again and threatened to obstruct him if he did.
Zuniga had spoken to media in the square prior to the attack on the presidential palace, citing mounting unrest in the landlocked nation that has been struggling economically due to low reserves held by the central bank and pressure on the boliviano currency as a result of dwindling gas exports.
Zuniga called for a new cabinet of ministers, saying, “The three chiefs of the armed forces have come to express our dismay,” on a local TV station.
With soldiers at his sides, he declared in full uniform, “Stop destroying, stop impoverishing our country, stop humiliating our army,” and insisted that the public backed the measures being taken.
Later on Wednesday, Zuniga informed reporters that Arce had, without providing any proof, requested him to “raise something up” on Sunday in order to increase his popularity.
Later, Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo claimed that Zuniga was trying to win over the public and that the nine casualties of the effort demonstrated that “this was not a drill.”
“MOST STRONG CONDEMNATION”
The leader of the MAS socialist party, Morales, declared that his followers will take to the streets to defend democracy.
“We will not allow the armed forces to violate democracy and intimidate people,” Morales stated.
The public prosecutor’s office in Bolivia said that Zuniga and other participants in the attempted coup would be the subject of a criminal investigation.
Prominent leaders from the area and beyond have showered Arce and Bolivia’s democracy with their support.
Our utmost condemnation goes out to the attempted coup in Bolivia. “We offer President Luis Alberto Arce Catacora our complete support,” Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated on X.
Even the government’s conservative political opponents in Bolivia, such as former president Jeanine Anez, who was imprisoned in 2022 amid political unrest, denounced the military action.
I fully reject of the mobilization of the military in the Plaza Murillo attempting to destroy constitutional order,” she stated in X. “In 2025, the MAS with Arce and Evo needs to be defeated in the vote. Bolivians, we shall stand up for democracy.”
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