General Juan Jose Zuniga was transferred to a maximum security prison because of the military uprising in Bolivia

Deposed Army Chief Gen Bolivian Juan Jose Zunica and two soldiers They were transferred to Chonchocoro maximum security prison this Saturday to serve detention for last Wednesday’s military uprising against the government of President Luis Arce.

The police took serious action In the special force to fight crime (Felcc) in the center of La Paz since noon this Saturday, after 22 minutes General Zunica was handcuffed and taken out of the cells with two guards. Before Zuniga, two other detained players left. Juan Arnez and Alejandro RaholaThey were sent to detention.

The three were loaded into Bolivian police vehicles and at least seven vehicles were behind them. Convoy to reach La Paz Plateau, where the Sonkogoro Prison Center is located, is about two hours from the center of La Paz.

A Bolivian judge made the order Friday General Zuniga, Vice Admiral Juan Arnes – Chief of Naval Staff (Navy) – and Commander Alejandro Irahola – Head of the Army’s Mechanized Brigade have been detained for six months. All three face charges of armed insurrection and terrorism and face up to 20 years in prison.

“This detention ordered by the judge will undoubtedly set a precedent, and () is a good sign that this investigation will continue to move forward.” said attorney Cesar Sayles, acting as state prosecutor.

Sayles said he was at the pretrial hearing and the prosecutor’s office proved it.Author’s Probability”Crimes of Terrorism and Armed Insurgency. Besides, All three soldiers were exposed to danger and obstacles to escapeFacts taken into account by the judge in deciding the detention order.

The Minister of Government (Interior), Eduardo del Castillo and other government and police officials arrived in Felici this Saturday to witness the transfer of Zunica. As the fired soldier left in handcuffs, Del Castillo watched him from the first floor of the police station.

Del Castillo, on the other hand, revealed it this Saturday Zuniga had planned to move aircraft and military units from other cities to La Paz in response to Wednesday’s uprising.. “We have found a radiogram indicating that the Hercules (military) plane that was supposed to bring the group of Satanists to the Bolivian capital was diverted,” the minister told the media.

According to the Minister, The flight was about to take off from the city of Tarija (South) where the Sadinadores division is located, elite soldiers trained to carry out high-risk operations. The investigation by the Bolivian government also shows that From the city of Cochabamba (center), military forces were preparing to reach La Paz from the Cotapachi bar.

This information was confirmed by Deputy Interior Minister Johnny Aguilera, who said the transfer orders were made by Zuniga and his close collaborators, soldiers in custody.

Zúñiga led a military operation on Wednesday in which he said he sought to “change the government cabinet” and create a “secondary democracy” in Bolivia. After arriving in a tank at the presidential palace, he met face-to-face with President Arce, who ordered him to retreat and withdraw the tanks and soldiers who had supported him in the military invasion. A few hours later he was caught by the Army General Staff.

They were arrested till Friday 21 active military, retired and civilians For the June 26 military coup, when troops with tanks besieged the Palacio Quemado presidential headquarters in La Paz for several hours, before retreating.

Besides Zúñiga, Irahola and Arnez, The General Marcelo Zegarra, Chief of the Air ForceThey will appear before a judge in the next few hours.

Authorities detained the first two at the end of the military coup, while Zegara was later arrested when he appeared at the prosecutor’s office with two of his lawyers.

The government also highlighted the seizure Sergeant Alan Candori, who was driving an armored vehicle that tried to break down one of the doors of the Quemato Palace in Murillo Plaza.

Amid the progress of investigations and proceedings, the former Bolivian president Evo Morales On Friday, he questioned the government’s version of what happened in La Paz, despite being one of those who warned of an armed uprising from his account on social network X.

“Then what a blow; The coup d’état begins, happy ministers walk the Plaza Murillo, playing tanks; A coup with zero injuries, zero shots, zero deaths,” Morales told a press conference in the city of Sacaba in the Cochabamba (center) department. “Let them inquire, sooner or later the inquiry will tell“What happened, said the former head of state surrounded by supporters.

Morales and Arce, who served together during the indigenous leader’s three terms in office (2006-2019), have been at loggerheads over the ruling party’s flags in the run-up to the elections. 2025 presidential election. Despite that Unworthy of justice To run for re-election, Morales wants to run for office, while Arce has yet to say publicly whether he will run for re-election.

Bolivia’s president said on Thursday that he had called Morales to warn him about the ongoing coup. “It was clear that they were coming for me, but then it became clear to me that they were going after Evo Morales,” commented Arce.

(With information from EFE and AFP)