Coup Attempt in Bolivia Crushed, Coup Leader Arrested

(ANKARA) – In Bolivia, hours after the coup attempt that began on Wednesday, the country’s armed forces withdrew from the presidential palace in the capital La Paz. The leader of the coup attempt, General Juan Jose Zuniga, was arrested. President Luis Arce condemned the coup attempt against his government and called for international support.

Political tension in Bolivia rose with the news that former President Evo Morales would compete with President Luis Arce in the upcoming elections.

Military units led by the leader of the coup attempt, General Juan Jose Zuniga, gathered on Wednesday afternoon in Plaza Murillo Square, where Bolivia’s government buildings are located.

Speaking in a square where tanks and armored vehicles were stationed, Zuniga reacted to Morales’ potential candidacy and threatened to overthrow the government.

Zuniga accused the government of acting unconstitutionally by paving the way for the re-election of Morales, who resigned in 2019 amid protests and pressure from the armed forces, and said the military had a duty to “protect the democratic order.”

Coup attempt suppressed

Condemning the coup attempt, President Arce soon called on the public to ‘organize and mobilize in favor of democracy’.

After several hours of clashes between Zuniga’s military units and government-supporting civilian groups, during which rubber bullets and tear gas were used, Zuniga announced that he and his troops would withdraw from Plaza Murillo “for now.”

Addressing the public in the capital La Paz, President Arce appointed Jose Wilson Sanchez to replace the dismissed army commander Zuniga.

The coup leader Juan Jose Zuniga was arrested. The Bolivian government announced that it has launched an investigation into those involved in the coup and the events that took place.

Who is the President of the Republic, Luis Arce, who suppressed the coup attempt?

Luis Arce, the 60-year-old President of Bolivia and the Minister of Economy during the Evo Morales period, is known for his opposition to Washington-supported free market and neoliberal policies.

The Arce administration, known for its close relations with Russia and China, is a leader who has taken a stance against the influence of Western investors on the Bolivian economy with its policies of nationalizing critical sectors of the economy.

Arce was elected president in early elections in 2020 after Evo Morales, who was re-elected in 2019, resigned as a result of protests.