La Paz, Bolivia — Led by a top general who vowed to “restore democracy,” armored vehicles stormed the doors of Bolivia’s government palace on Wednesday in what the president called an attempted coup, then quickly retreated – the latest crisis in a South American country facing political infighting and economic woes.
Within hours, the country of 12 million people saw a scenario in which the army seemed to take control of President Luis Arce’s government. He vowed to stand firm and named a new army commander, who immediately ordered the troops to retreat.
The soldiers and military vehicles soon retreated, ending the uprising three hours later. Hundreds of Arce’s supporters then poured into the square outside the palace, waving Bolivian flags, singing the national anthem and cheering.
After the troops withdrew, army chief Gen. Juan José Zúñiga was arrested after the attorney general launched an investigation.
Government minister Eduardo del Castillo said that in addition to Zuniga, former navy vice admiral Juan Arnez Salvador was also detained.
“What was the goal of this group? Its goal was to overthrow the democratically elected authority,” del Castillo told reporters in announcing the arrests.
Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo said late Wednesday that “everything is now under control.” Surrounded by new military chiefs appointed by Arce, Novillo said Bolivia had gone through a “failed coup.”
The apparent coup attempt comes amid months of tension and political wrangling between Arce and his one-time ally, former leftist President Evo Morales, over control of the ruling party and amid a severe economic crisis.
This clash has crippled the government’s efforts to tackle the economic crisis. For example, Morales’ allies in Congress have repeatedly blocked Arce’s attempts to borrow to ease the pressure.
Zuniga told reporters the military was tired of infighting and was now trying to “restore democracy,” referring to the stalemate during the uprising.
“We are listening to the cries of the people, because for too many years an elite has controlled the country,” he said, adding that politicians “are destroying the country: look at the state we are in, the mess they have left us in.”
He said, “The intention of the armed forces is to restore democracy and make it a true democracy.”
The crisis escalated in the afternoon, when the streets of La Paz were filled with soldiers. Arce tweeted that the deployment of troops was irregular, and soon he and other political figures warned of a coup attempt.
Still, the apparent attempt to oust the current president received no meaningful support, and even Arce’s rivals appeared to unite in defending democracy and rejecting the coup.
In a twist, Zuniga claimed in a statement to reporters before his arrest that Arce himself had asked the general to attack the palace as part of a political ploy. “The president told me: ‘The situation is very bad, very serious. It is important to prepare something to increase my popularity’,” Zuniga quoted the Bolivian leader as saying.
Zuniga said he asked Arce if they should “move the armored vehicles?” and Arce replied, “Move them.”
Justice Minister Ivan Lima refuted Zuniga’s claims, saying that the general was lying and trying to justify his actions, for which he would have to face justice.
Lima said via the social media platform X that prosecutors would seek the maximum sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison for Zuniga “for attacking democracy and the Constitution.”
The spectacle stunned Bolivians, who are not immune to political unrest; Morales was ousted as president in 2019 following an earlier political crisis.
As the crisis unfolded on Wednesday, Arce confronted Zuniga in a palace corridor, as video on Bolivian television showed. “I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your troops, and I will not allow this disobedience,” Arce said.
Surrounded by ministers, he said: “We here in Casa Grande are determined to confront any coup attempt. We need to organize the Bolivian people.”
Less than an hour later, Arce announced the new heads of the army, navy and air force to roaring supporters, and thanked the country’s police and regional allies for standing by him. Arce said soldiers rising up against him were “tainting the uniform” of the military.
“I order all mobilized soldiers to return to their units,” newly appointed army chief Jose Wilson Sanchez said. “Nobody wants to see the kind of pictures we are seeing in the streets.”
Shortly after, armoured vehicles left the plaza, followed by hundreds of military fighters, while police in anti-riot uniforms set up a blockade outside the government palace.
The incident sparked outrage from other regional leaders, including the Organization of American States, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, the leader of Honduras and former Bolivian leaders.
Gustavo Flores-Macias, a professor of government and public policy focused on Latin America at Cornell University, said it is important that world leaders and organizations continue to condemn the coup attempt as events unfold.
“If we allow the disruption of the constitutional order in Bolivia, it could create a demonstrative effect,” Flores-Macias said in an interview with The Associated Press from New York. “It could send a signal that if it’s okay to happen in Bolivia, it can happen elsewhere.”
Bolivia has seen intense protests in recent months as its economy, which was one of the fastest growing economies in the world two decades ago, has now become one of the most troubled economies.
Arce and Morales are battling over the future of Bolivia’s splintered Movement for Socialism, known as MAS in Spanish, ahead of elections due in 2025.
Following Wednesday’s chaos, local media reports suggested that Bolivians were stocking up on food and other essentials at supermarkets as they worried about what might happen next.
But addressing supporters outside the presidential palace, the country’s vice-president, David Choquehuanca, vowed: “The Bolivian people will never allow coup attempts again.”
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Genetsky reported from Mexico City, and Anita Snow contributed to this report from Phoenix, Arizona.
