Bolivian police have detained the leader of an apparent coup attempt mere hours after soldiers stormed the presidential palace in La Paz.
Hundreds of troops, accompanied by armored vehicles, occupied Murillo Square, the heart of Bolivia’s government district.
An armored vehicle forcefully breached the main gate of the presidential palace, allowing soldiers to enter before they eventually withdrew.
General Juan José Zúñiga, the rebel military leader at the center of this coup attempt, declared his intention to “restructure democracy.”
While initially professing respect for President Luis Arce, he hinted at an impending change in government. His defiant stance quickly unraveled when he was arrested immediately after claiming that the military had intervened at the president’s behest.
General Zúñiga was dismissed from his position on Tuesday following inflammatory remarks about former President Evo Morales during a television interview.
Bolivia coup attempt reportedly thwarted as citizens outnumber National Police and Military forcing them to withdraw from the Presidential Palace. pic.twitter.com/bFiiq8jkSc
— Cyprian, Is Nyakundi (@C_NyaKundiH) June 27, 2024
President Arce, condemning the coup attempt, called on Bolivians to “organize and mobilize… in favor of democracy.” He emphasized the need to prevent further loss of life due to coup attempts, a sentiment that resonated with pro-democracy demonstrators who took to the streets in support of the government.
In a televised address from within the presidential palace, President Arce confronted General Zúñiga, demanding his resignation and announcing the appointment of new military commanders.
This move followed the general’s dismissal after openly criticizing Morales, who also condemned the coup attempt and called for criminal charges against Zúñiga and his accomplices.
The public prosecutor’s office has since launched a criminal investigation, leading to the arrest of Vice-Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador, head of the Bolivian Navy.
The motivations behind General Zúñiga’s coup attempt remain unclear. He was removed from his role after threatening to arrest Morales if he ran for office again, despite Morales being barred from doing so. Morales, who was forced out of office in 2019 by military chiefs accusing him of election manipulation, denounced an “elite” for taking over the country.
⚡️🇧🇴 BREAKING:
A failed coup attempt in Bolivia by US-backed General Juan José Zúñiga.
Bolivia, a dramatic coup attempt aimed at President Luis Arce was stopped in its tracks.
Armored vehicles smashed into the government palace, yet Arce stood strong, swiftly replacing the… pic.twitter.com/ttDuIyTY3f
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) June 27, 2024
In a dramatic twist, just before his arrest, General Zúñiga told reporters that President Arce had instructed him to deploy armored vehicles to boost his declining popularity, a claim he made moments before being bundled into a police van.
Andrea Barrientos, a leading opposition senator, echoed Zúñiga’s claims, suggesting that Bolivia’s economic and judicial crises might have driven President Arce to stage a “self-coup.” She called for a thorough investigation into the situation, emphasizing the need for the government to answer to the Bolivian people.
While Wednesday’s events appear to be a short-lived and ill-conceived military uprising, the incident underscores the vulnerability of the Arce administration.
Political analysts suggest that while this coup attempt might have been isolated, it has highlighted the potential for future political instability, though likely through political channels rather than military intervention.
![Shutterstock Soldiers in La Paz](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/d0dc/live/d9e54b00-33fd-11ef-90be-b75b34b0bbb2.jpg.webp)
Former President Morales has rallied his supporters, particularly in the country’s indigenous coca-growers movement, to demand an end to the coup attempt.
This show of popular support may have strengthened the resolve against Zúñiga’s plans, which included freeing political prisoners like former leader Jeanine Áñez.
Despite internal political disputes, both Arce and Morales, who belong to the same political party, united in their condemnation of using military force to effect political change. Before Morales took power in 2005, Bolivia was one of the most politically unstable nations in the Americas. His tenure brought relative stability until his controversial exit.
President Arce, elected after the tumultuous 2019 elections, received swift regional support in the face of the coup attempt. Left-wing allies in Venezuela and Colombia condemned the incident, as did Washington, calling for calm. Paraguayan President Santiago Peña also denounced the coup.
Human rights activist Jhanisse Vaca Daza expressed concern that President Arce might use the coup attempt as a pretext to crack down on political opponents, potentially leading to arrests or the closure of the Legislative Assembly.