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Alleged coup attempt in Bolivia fails after military enters presidential palace

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Top line

Bolivian army troops led by a senior general surrounded government buildings in the country’s capital, La Paz, and entered the presidential palace in armored vehicles on Wednesday. But they were forced to withdraw under the pretext of “restoring democracy” after an apparent coup attempt against President Luis Arce failed.

Key data

The soldiers withdrew from the presidential palace after a nearly three-hour standoff with Arce, and the general commander of the armed forces, Juan José Zúñiga, who had led the alleged coup, was arrested.

Zúñiga, who was relieved of his command last week, did not announce that he was leading a coup. According to the Associated Press, he told reporters before entering the presidential palace that the army’s goal was to restore democracy and release political prisoners.

Arce confronted Zuñiga at the palace and ordered the general to withdraw his soldiers, the Associated Press reported. Zuñiga said he still recognized Arce as Bolivia’s commander in chief “for now.”

Arce then appointed a new military commander who ordered the troops led by Zuñiga to return home. The soldiers complied, leaving with their armored vehicles.

After the soldiers withdrew, thousands of Arce’s supporters and police entered the square where the national government buildings and the presidential palace are located.

Arce thanked his supporters and police officers for their resistance to the alleged coup and announced the new heads of the country’s army, navy and air force, the AP report said.

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Key quote

After the alleged coup attempt failed, Arce thanked the Bolivian people, tweeting: “We greet and express our sincere gratitude to our social organizations and to all the Bolivian people who took to the streets… to express their rejection of the coup attempt, which only damages the image of Bolivian democracy at the international level and generates unnecessary uncertainty at a time when Bolivians must work to move the country forward.”

tangent

The alleged coup attempt was also strongly condemned by Arce’s political rivals. Former President Evo Morales – Arce’s intra-party rival who is seeking to run against him in next year’s general elections – warned his supporters of the impending coup in a post on X on Wednesday, and subsequently called for the prosecution of Zuñiga and “his accomplices.” The coup was also criticized by leaders of the center-right Democratic Party. Party member and former Bolivian President Jeanine Áñez tweeted: “I totally reject the mobilization of the military in Plaza Murillo in an attempt to destroy the constitutional order.” She added that Arce and Morales should be defeated in the 2025 election and “Bolivians will defend democracy.”

Important background

Zuñiga was relieved of his military command by Arce last week, reportedly after comments Zuñiga made against Morales, who was Bolivia’s president from 2006 to 2019 and is Arce’s mentor, according to the New York Times. Morales, who was accused of voter fraud in Bolivia’s 2019 election, resigned as president that same year after being pressured by the Bolivian army chief. Áñez held power for a year until Arce was elected in a repeat election. Añez is now in prison and is one of the political prisoners Zuñiga sought to free from captivity, according to BBC News.

Further information

A coup attempt is underway in Bolivia, while the president calls on the population to mobilize against it (AP)

Bolivian armored vehicles and soldiers withdraw from the square in front of the presidential palace (Reuters)

Soldiers surround Bolivian presidential palace in attempted coup (BBC News)

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