Coup attempt in Bolivia: General arrested, army flees palace

The clashes paralyzed the government’s efforts to deal with the economic crisis. For example, Morales’ allies in Congress have been thwarting Arce’s attempts to take on debt to relieve some of the pressure.

Noting this paralysis of the country during the rebellion, Zuniga told reporters that the army was tired of infighting and was seeking to “restore democracy.”

“We are listening to the cry of the people because the elite has controlled the country for so many years,” he said, adding that politicians “are destroying the country: look at the situation we are in, what a crisis they have left us with.”

He added, “The armed forces intend to restore democracy and make it a true democracy.”

The rapidly unfolding crisis began in the early afternoon when the streets of La Paz began filling with soldiers. Ars tweeted that the troop deployment was irregular and he and other political figures quickly warned of a coup attempt.

However, the apparent attempt to unseat the incumbent appears to lack any real support, and even Arce’s rivals have joined forces to defend democracy and disavow the uprising.

In a development, Zuniga claimed in statements to reporters before his arrest that Arce himself asked the general to storm the palace in a political move. The president told me: The situation is very complex and very critical. “It is necessary to prepare something to raise my popularity,” Zuniga quoted the Bolivian leader as saying.

Zuniga asked Arce if he should “take out the armored vehicles?” “Take them out,” Ars replied.

Justice Minister Ivan Lima denied Zuniga’s claims, saying the general was lying and trying to justify his actions for which he said he would face justice.

Lima said on the social media platform

The scene shocked Bolivians, who are no stranger to political turmoil; In 2019, Morales was ousted from his position as president after an earlier political crisis.

As the crisis unfolded on Wednesday, Arce confronted Zúñiga in the palace lobby, as seen in a video broadcast on Bolivian television. “I am your commander, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination,” Arce said.

Surrounded by the ministers, he added: “Here we are, resolute in Casablanca, in the face of any coup attempt.” We need the Bolivian people to organize.

Less than an hour later, Arce announced new commanders of the army, navy and air force to roars of supporters, thanking the country’s police and regional allies for standing by him. Ars said that the forces that revolted against him were “staining the uniform” of the army.

“I ordered all conscripts to return to their units,” newly appointed army commander Jose Wilson Sanchez said. “Nobody wants the images we see on the streets.”

Shortly after, armored vehicles exited the square, followed by hundreds of military fighters, while riot police set up barricades outside the government palace.

The incident was met with a wave of anger from other regional leaders, including the Organization of American States, Chilean President Gabriel Buric, the leader of Honduras, and former Bolivian leaders.

Gustavo Flores Macias, a professor of government and public policy who focuses on Latin America at Cornell University, said it was important for world leaders and organizations to continue their condemnation of the attempted coup as developments unfold.

“If we allow the disruption of the constitutional order in Bolivia, it could have the effect of a demonstration,” Flores Macias of New York said in an interview with The Associated Press. “That might send a signal that if it’s okay for this to happen in Bolivia, it might happen somewhere else.”

Bolivia has witnessed intense protests in recent months due to the sharp decline of the economy from one of the fastest growing economies on the continent two decades ago to one of the economies most suffering from crises.

Arce and Morales are fighting for the future of the dissident Movement for Socialism in Bolivia, known by its Spanish acronym MAS, before elections scheduled for 2025.

In the wake of Wednesday’s chaos, reports in local media showed Bolivians stocking up on food and other necessities in supermarkets, worried about what would happen next.

But the country’s vice president, David Choquehuanca, pledged in his speech to supporters outside the presidential palace: “Never again will the Bolivian people allow coup attempts.”

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Janetsky wrote from Mexico City, and Anita Snow contributed to this report from Phoenix, Arizona.