Juan José Zúñiga: the soldier behind the attempted coup d’état

Juan José Zúñiga is the one behind the attempted coup d’état in Bolivia. He became an army commander and according to Bolivian television he entered the presidential headquarters after a tank tried to knock down a metal door of the building.

According to Bolivian television, the officer entered the building for a few moments before walking out.

A video from Bolivian television showed President Luis Arce confronting the Commander General of the Army in the palace lobby. “I am his captain and I order him to withdraw his soldiers and I will not allow this insubordination,” Arce said.

Before entering the government building, Zúñiga told reporters in the plaza: “Surely there will soon be a new Cabinet of Ministers; our country, our State cannot continue like this.” Zúñiga said that “for now” he recognizes Arce as commander in chief.

Zúñiga has had several clashes with former President Evo Morales and opposes the former president’s candidacy in 2025. For his comments, he was removed from his post; however, he rebelled against the Executive.

In the program “You will not lie”, Zúñiga harshly attacked former President Morales and sided with the “legally constituted government” of Luis Arce.

“He is a character whose nature is to lie and insult (…). He is a mythomaniac who uses lies to return to power,” he said of Morales: “What a shame that we have had that type of authorities for 14 years ( …). We Bolivians do not deserve to have that type of authorities.”

“For many years he has identified me as a target,” Zúñiga said of Morales on Tuesday.

Zúñiga also declared: “On two occasions he has sent me two of his emissaries (…). And he has told me clearly: ‘If you align yourself with us your image will rise. You will leave as the true general of the people.’ Those are the words: ‘But if you continue in that position we will continue to discredit you and defame you and in the end you will end up in jail.’

The former Bolivian president has accused him of an alleged operation to persecute coca growers’ leaders and political opponents. “According to the local site Los Tiempos, he was also accused of being involved in the allegedly irregular diversion of 2.7 million Bolivian pesos that were intended for the payment of the “Juancito Pinto” and “Renta Dignidad” bonds,” reported the media outlet Perfil.

According to local media, Zúñiga has been seen at social events and stands out “for his knowledge of military intelligence and for knowing the movements of various political leaders,” Perfil indicated.

This Wednesday afternoon, the president of Bolivia appointed new commanders of the Bolivian Army at the Executive headquarters in the midst of a military movement that he described as a “coup d’état” by Juan José Zúñiga.

Evo Morales was disqualified last year from participating in the 2025 elections by the Plurinational Constitutional Court.

According to the ruling, no Bolivian can be elected to the same public office more than twice in his or her life. In his statements, Zúñiga said: “Mr. Morales has already been president for three, four terms, re, re, re-elected. Legally he is disqualified.”