Bolivian armed forces with armoured vehicles pulled back from the presidential palace in La Paz this evening, after President Luis Arce slammed a “coup” attempt against the government and called for international support.
Earlier in the day, military units led by General Juan Jose Zuniga, recently stripped of his military command, had gathered in the central Plaza Murillo square, home to the presidential palace and Congress. A Reuters witness saw an armoured vehicle ram a door of the presidential palace and soldiers rush in.
“Today the country is facing an attempted coup d’état. Today the country faces once again interests so that democracy in Bolivia is cut short,” he said in comments from the presidential palace, with armed soldiers outside.
“The Bolivian people are summoned today. We need the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup d’état in favor of democracy.”
A few hours later, a Reuters witness saw soldiers withdraw from the square and police take control of the plaza.
Inside the presidential palace, Mr Arce swore in José Wilson Sánchez as the military commander, General Zuniga’s former role. Mr Sanchez called on the soldiers to return to their barracks and for their leaders to avoid bloodshed.
Tensions have been building in Bolivia ahead of general elections in 2025, with leftist ex-President Evo Morales planning to run against former ally Luiz Arce, creating a major rift in the ruling socialist party and wider political uncertainty.
Many do not want a return of Mr Morales, who governed from 2006-2019 when he was ousted amid widespread protests and replaced by an interim conservative government. Mr Arce then won election in 2020.
General Zuniga said recently that Mr Morales should not be able to return as president and threatened to block him if he attempted to, which led Mr Arce to remove General Zuniga from his post.
Ahead of the attack on the presidential palace, General Zuniga had addressed reporters in the square and cited growing anger in the landlocked country, which has been battling an economic slump with depleted central bank reserves and pressure on the boliviano currency as gas exports have dried up.
“The three chiefs of the armed forces have come to express our dismay,” General Zuniga told a local TV station, calling for a new cabinet of ministers. He stopped short of calling for the removal of Mr Arce.
“Stop destroying, stop impoverishing our country, stop humiliating our army,” he said in full uniform, flanked by soldiers, insisting the action being taken was supported by the public.
Ireland expresses solidarity with the Government and people of Bolivia, and reiterates unequivocal support for democracy and the rule of law. https://t.co/WuGd42Huig
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) June 26, 2024
Honduran President Xiomara Castro summoned members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to condemn what she called a “criminal coup d’état”.
The Organization of American States (OAS) also hit out at the troop movements.
“The international community, the general secretariat of the OAS will not tolerate any form of breach of the legitimate constitutional order in Bolivia or anywhere else,” its Secretary General Luis Almagro said.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador: “We express the strongest condemnation of the attempted coup d’état in Bolivia. Our total support and support for President Luis Alberto Arce Catacora.”
The United States said it was closely monitoring the situation and urged calm and restraint.
The European Union said it condemned “any attempt to undermine the constitutional order in Bolivia and overthrow democratically-elected governments” as it expressed “its solidarity with the Bolivian government and people”.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said: “Ireland expresses solidarity with the Government and people of Bolivia, and reiterates unequivocal support for democracy and the rule of law”.
