The soldiers who took part in this action withdrew from the presidential palace and a general was arrested. President Luis Arce denounced an attempted “coup d’état” against the government.
After armored vehicles from the Bolivian army rammed the gates of the presidential palace on Wednesday in an apparent coup, the government and an army general exchanged accusations.
A group of soldiers entered the presidential palace, apparently led by General Juan José Zúñigacurrent Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
The latter did not explicitly declare that he was leading a coup, but he said that the army was trying to “restore democracy and free political prisoners“.
President Luis Arce did not let his general dictate his conduct, promising to remain firm. He also immediately appointed a new commander-in-chief of the army, who ordered the troops to withdraw.
A little later, during his arrest, Mr. Zúñiga said that President Arce himself had ordered him to use armored vehicles and “prepare something” in order to boost his popularity. Unverifiable claims.
“This act violates all fundamental pillars of the rule of law. We cannot tolerate such circumstances in the 21st century and we demand that those who disrespect the laws put an end to this behavior“. declared the Deputy Minister of the Interior Johnny Aguilera.
When the tension subsided, Luis Arce addressed his supporters on the balcony of the presidential palace and thanked the people who had demonstrated to defeat the Coup d’Etat.
The leadership of Bolivia’s largest union condemned the action and declared an indefinite strike by social and union organizations in La Paz to defend the government.
A crisis that is both political and economic
Bolivia, a country of 12 million people, has seen intensifying protests in recent months due to a faltering economy, which has gone from one of the fastest growing on the continent two decades ago, to one of the most affected by the crisis.
Added to this economic crisis is a fratricidal political crisis within the ruling party, the “Movement towards socialism“(MAS) between the supporters of the current president Luis Arce and those of the former and emblematic president Evo Morales who ruled Bolivia for thirteen years, from 2006 to 2019.