Bolivia: Army chief arrested after failed coup attempt
Bolivia’s state television has confirmed the arrest of army chief Juan José Zúñiga Macías on charges of plotting a coup attempt, following the withdrawal of armored vehicles and military personnel from the vicinity of the presidential palace in what local leaders described as an attempt to overthrow President Luis Arce.
The new military command ordered the return of troops under General Zúñiga Macías’ command to their positions.
The Supreme Court also condemned what it considered an attack on the country’s democratic stability, and the Attorney General’s Office announced that it planned to open a criminal investigation against Zúñiga Macías for that coup attempt.
The accused army chief, General Zúñiga Macías, said his move was aimed at restructuring democracy in Bolivia, saying he was seeking a real democracy away from the control of some masters who have been running the country for 30 or 40 years, while appearing with a group of military personnel and eight tanks.
For his part, Bolivian President Luis Arce called on the Bolivian people to organize themselves, mobilize against coup attempts and support democracy, adding, “We cannot allow coup attempts to take the lives of Bolivians again”.
The president’s call came after armed military personnel and armored vehicles were deployed in front of the government headquarters in La Paz, and some of them tried to storm the gate of the presidential palace.
Former President Evo Morales (who ruled the country from 2006 to 2019) warned in a post on X that there was preparation for a coup, accusing General Zúñiga Macías of leading the rebel movement.
In Washington, the White House said it was following the situation in Bolivia closely and calling for calm.
A spokesman for the US National Security Council confirmed that the United States is monitoring events and urging calm, in light of the uncertain situation prevailing in La Paz, with Bolivian President Luis Arce calling on his citizens to mobilize against the coup led by the army chief.
Bolivian President eventually urged citizens to act against the coup attempt, after military forces tried to storm the presidential palace in the heart of the capital, La Paz.
