Bolivian general arrested for leading coup attempt after troop withdrawal

There is a political fight in the background
International reaction

Bolivian forces on Wednesday arrested the army commander who led the attempted coup against President Luis Arce, shortly after military rebels besieged the government headquarters for hours and tried to break down one of its gates.

According to the prosecutor’s office, General Juan José Zúñiga was arrested in front of a military barracks in La Paz at the end of a hectic day and taken to a police vehicle on charges of terrorism and armed insurrection.

“He’s under arrest, General.” said Deputy Interior Minister Jhonny Aguilera, according to state television.

Surrounded by about eight tanks, Zúñiga led uniformed men who tried to storm the presidential palace in downtown La Paz. His men used tear gas against people who tried to approach the building.

The officer went inside, passing through the same door that one of the tanks had tried to break down. He left in the same way shortly thereafter.

“We are in the middle of an attempted coup by military officers who are staining their uniforms,” Arce said as he administered the oath to the new leadership of the Armed Forces in the palace, which was at that moment surrounded by Zúñiga troops.

After his withdrawal, the president took to the balcony to address hundreds of supporters: “No one will take away from us the democracy we won… We are sure: we will move on and we will continue to work.

Both the government and former President Evo Morales, a former Arce ally and now political rival, have called for demonstrations in response to the military uprising.

The former president of Bolivia suspended the conversation on his social media after “calm was restored at the seat of government.”

There is a political fight in the background

Since Tuesday, rumors have been circulating about the likely dismissal of Zúñiga, who has commanded the army since 2022.

The officer expressed strong opposition to the possible return to power of Morales, who is competing with Arce for the leadership of the ruling party before the 2025 presidential elections.

In a television interview on Monday, he even assured that he would stop Morales if he insisted on running for president next year.

Hence the surprise caused by the attempted coup on Arka.

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 twisted” and that he deserves action that will benefit him.

Arce and Morales have been engaged in an intense political battle for several years.

Under the constitutional reforms he promoted, Morales held the presidency from 2006 to 2019, when he was forced to resign due to the crisis that erupted over alleged electoral fraud in order to obtain a fourth term.

Late last year, the Constitutional Court excluded Morales from running again, which the former president interpreted as an action against him by the former finance minister.

The government wing of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) announced Arce as its candidate for 2025. Another sector supported the aspirations of Morales, who, despite the judges’ verdict, did not renounce his aspirations.

Meanwhile, Arce has not yet announced his candidacy.

International reaction

Several governments and international bodies spoke during the day.

The United States called for “calm” and said it was “closely monitoring the situation,” a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council told AFP.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned “any form of coup” in Bolivia on the social networking site X.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, for his part, said he was “very concerned” about the “allegations of an attempted coup” and called on all actors to “protect the constitutional order and preserve the climate of peace,” said his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.

The Organization of American States (OAS) warned that it “will 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 closest allies in the region.

“To the people of Bolivia all the support of the people of Bolivar. “No to fascism, no to a coup,” the president said, declaring himself an “extraordinary and constant helper” for the Bolivian people.