Arce thanks Bolivia and the international community for avoiding a coup d’état

The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, this Wednesday night, thanked the Bolivian people and the international community for their rejection of the “coup attempt” against his Government and reiterated the defense of the country’s democracy.

“We salute and express our most sincere gratitude to our social organizations and to all the Bolivian people, who took to the streets and they expressed themselves through different media outlets, expressing their rejection of the coup attempt, which all it does is damage the image of Bolivian democracy internationally and generate unnecessary uncertainty at a time when Bolivians need to work to move the country forward“, he expressed on his social networks.

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This Wednesday afternoon, fear gripped Bolivians after tanks and heavily armed soldiers stormed the Bolivian Government headquarters under the command of Juan José Zuñiga, who at the time was the Army commander.

When the first soldiers arrived at Plaza Murillo, where the Bolivian Executive and Legislative headquarters are located, Arce denounced “irregular mobilizations of some units of the Bolivian Army.”

The heavily armed soldiers took over the entire square and reached the gate of the Government Palace and knocked it down with a war tank. Moments later, Arce came out, guarded by his ministers, and confronted Zuñiga and ordered the withdrawal of the troops to which he finally agreed to.

“We are going to defend democracy and the will of the Bolivian people no matter what the cost!” he reiterated tonight as he had already pointed out moments before before hundreds of people.

After the withdrawal of the armed military, Arce went out to the balcony of the Presidential Palace with his Cabinet and before state workers and followers he defended his Government “democratically elected at the polls.”

He also thanked governments around the world for their solidarity, as they unanimously rejected any attempt or action that goes against institutionality.

“We salute and thank the presidents of friendly countries and the international organizations that have strongly condemned and spoken out in favor of Bolivian democracy, in the face of the attempted coup d’état against our Government legitimately elected by the majority of the and the Bolivians,” he stated.

During the military occupation, Zúñiga said he was seeking to “restructure democracy” and that the first measure he would take would be the release of those he considered “political prisoners.”

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At the end of the day, Zuñiga was arrested after the Police executed an arrest warrant against him.