Bolivian general arrested after failed coup attempt against President Arce

Bolivian forces arrested the army commander who led an attempted coup against President Luis Arce on Wednesday, shortly after rebel soldiers laid siege to the government headquarters for hours and tried to break down one of its doors.

At the end of a hectic day, General Juan José Zúñiga was arrested outside a barracks in La Paz and taken to a police vehicle. He is accused of terrorism and armed insurrection, according to the prosecutor’s office. “You are under arrest, General!” said Deputy Minister (Interior Minister) Jhonny Aguilera, according to state television footage.

Surrounded by about eight armored vehicles, Zúñiga led the uniformed men who attempted to enter the presidential palace in the center of La Paz. His men used tear gas against people who tried to approach the building. The officer entered the building through the same door that one of the combat vehicles tried to break open. Shortly after, he left the same way.

“We are facing a coup attempt by military personnel who are soiling the uniform,” Arce said as he swore in a new high command of the armed forces in the palace, which was at the time surrounded by Zúñiga’s troops.

After their withdrawal, the president stepped onto a balcony to address hundreds of supporters: “The democracy that we have won cannot be taken away from us (…). We are certain: we will continue and we will continue to work.”

Both the government and former President Evo Morales, Arce’s former ally and now political rival, had called for mobilization in response to the military uprising. On his social networks, the former Bolivian president stopped the call after “calm had returned to the seat of government.”

The underlying political struggle

Since Tuesday, rumors have been circulating about a possible dismissal of Zúñiga, who has been in command of the army since 2022. The officer had expressed his strong opposition to a possible return to power of Morales, who is vying with Arce for the leadership of the ruling party ahead of the 2025 presidential elections.

In an interview with a television channel on Monday, he even assured that he would arrest Morales if the latter insisted on running for president next year, hence the surprise caused by his attempted coup against Arce. At the time of his arrest, the general told the press that the president had asked him on Sunday to “prepare something” to boost his popularity.

According to Zúñiga, Arce argued that “the situation is very complicated” and warrants action in his favor. Arce and Morales have been engaged in a fierce political battle for several years.

Supported by the constitutional reforms he himself had pushed forward, Morales remained president from 2006 to 2019, when he was forced to resign due to the crisis that erupted over alleged electoral fraud to obtain a fourth term.

At the end of last year, the Constitutional Court barred Morales from running again, which the former president interpreted as a maneuver by his former economy minister against him.

The government wing of the Movement for Socialism (MAS) has named Arce as its candidate for 2025. Another sector supported Morales’ aspirations, which has not yet given up its ambitions despite the judges’ ruling. Arce, meanwhile, has not yet declared his candidacy.

International reaction

Various governments and international organizations issued statements throughout the day. The United States called for “calm” and assured that it was “monitoring the situation closely,” according to a statement from a spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned “any form of coup” in Bolivia on the social network X. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, on the other hand, expressed “deep concern” about “the allegations of an attempted coup” and called on all actors to “protect the constitutional order and maintain a climate of peace,” reported his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.

The Organization of American States (OAS) warned that it would not tolerate “any form of violation of the constitutional order” in Bolivia. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro immediately condemned the attempt to overthrow one of his most important allies in the region.

“The people of Bolivia have the full support of the people of Bolivar. No to fascism, no to the coup,” said the ruler, declaring that he was committed to “immediate and permanent support” of the Bolivians.