Photo: Riots in La Paz, Bolivia, June 26, 2024
Bolivian armed forces walked out of the presidential palace in La Paz late Wednesday, and General Juan José Zuniga was arrested after President Luis Arce accused him of attempting a "coup" against the government and called for international support, reports Reuters.
Earlier in the day, military units led by General Zuniga, who was recently removed from command, gathered in the central Plaza Murillo square, where the presidential palace and Congress are located. An eyewitness who spoke to Reuters saw an armored personnel carrier crash through the door of the presidential palace and soldiers rush inside.
"Today the country is faced with an attempted coup. Today, the country is again faced with interests aimed at undermining democracy in Bolivia— Arce said, speaking at the presidential palace surrounded by armed soldiers. – We make a call to Bolivians. We need Bolivians to organize and mobilize against the coup to support democracy.”.
Hours later, a Reuters witness saw soldiers leave the square and police take control of it. Bolivian authorities arrested Zuniga and took him away, although his whereabouts are still unclear.
Inside the presidential palace, Arce swore in José Wilson Sánchez as top military commander to succeed Zuniga. He called for calm and restoration of order.
"I order that all personnel mobilized on the streets return to their units, — Sanchez said. – We ask that the blood of our soldiers not be shed..
The United States said it was closely monitoring the situation and called for calm and restraint.
Tensions are rising in Bolivia ahead of general elections in 2025, in which leftist ex-President Evo Morales plans to run against former ally Arce , creating a major rift in the ruling Socialist party and widespread political uncertainty.
Many do not want the return of Morales, who ruled from 2006 to 2019, when he was ousted amid mass protests and replaced by an interim conservative government. Arce then won the election in 2020.
Zuniga recently said Morales should not return to the presidency and threatened to block his nomination, leading to Zuniga's ouster.
Before the attack on the presidency Palace Zuniga spoke to reporters in the plaza and spoke of growing anger in Bolivia, which is grappling with an economic downturn amid depleted central bank reserves and pressure on the Bolivian currency due to a halt in gas exports.
Prepared by Sergei Daga< /p>