On Wednesday, Bolivia’s government palace in La Paz faced an assault by armored vehicles in what appeared to be an attempted coup. The leader of the coup attempt, General Juan José Zúñiga, claimed the military sought to “restore democracy” and free political prisoners, but he was later arrested.
Hundreds of President Arce’s supporters rallied outside the palace, waving flags and chanting. In a public address, Arce thanked the Bolivian people and declared, “Let democracy live on.” Footage showed armed soldiers and military vehicles at Murillo Plaza, but they eventually withdrew following orders from the newly appointed army chief, General José Sánchez.
Tensions had been escalating for months amid economic difficulties and political rivalry between Arce and former President Evo Morales, both from the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party. Despite the attempted coup, Arce’s political adversaries condemned the rebellion, showing unity in defense of democracy.
General Zúñiga alleged that President Arce had orchestrated the incident to boost his popularity, a claim Arce denied. Zúñiga’s removal from his army chief post came just a day before the coup attempt, purportedly due to his opposition to Morales’ potential re-election bid in 2025. Morales, decrying the coup on social media, described the situation as a brewing coup d’état.
International condemnation followed swiftly, with leaders from the Organization of American States, Chile, Honduras, and the European Union expressing strong support for Bolivia’s democratic process and elected government.
As the armored vehicles retreated, order was restored, but the nation remained on edge, grappling with the political and economic instability that continues to challenge its democracy.
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