Wednesday, a leading general and other military allies of the general attempted to storm Bolivia’s presidential palace before quickly retreating in what appeared to be a failed coup. Live footage on Bolivian TV showed the general being arrested. A video aired on Bolivian television showed riot police with shields and batons occupying the main square of La Paz, a military tank camouflaged smashing down the doors of a presidential palace, and soldiers attempting to penetrate into it. Just as they had come, General Juan Jose Zuniga disappeared from sight only for his supporters within the armed forces to pull back further and cede ground to pro-democracy policemen supporting Luis Arce who is the legitimate head of state. Arce walked out onto the plaza after urging Bolivians “to mobilize against the coup and in favor of democracy. “In his televised address he shouted “Long live democracy”! “Long live Bolivian people”!
Overall, this afternoon’s attempted intrusion into the government building took only three hours time. As things went by, it became clear that Zuniga was alone in his plot. Just before arresting him, Zuniga said that Arce had urged him without any proof to carry out this coup. As TV cameras rolled on him Zuniga said: “The prez told me, ’the situation is really messed up, this week is going to be critical – so it’s necessary to prepare something that will raise my popularity.’ ” Shortly thereafter, the general was taken away by police in a truck. In response then to Castillo saying that Zuniga’s credibility was zero; Del Castillo added that nine people were injured due to gunshots amid all these confusions.
Accordingly, Bolivia’s attorney general announced an inquiry promising “the most severe punishment” for those responsible. Earlier local news outlets reported that Zuniga lost his job this week after making comments about former President Evo Morales who is seen as Arce’s godfather.
This coup happened at a time when Bolivia is on the edge of a knife; it has a population of 12 million people and is landlocked in South America. The Bolivian economy is suffering, and Arce has been accused of what his opponents see as undemocratic action: detention of opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho and former President Jeanine Anez before the elections next year.
Bolivia, an extremely divided country, has undergone 190 coups during its 200 years of history. Additionally, many members of the military are unhappy because they feel that they defend the regime only to be victimized politically or receive prison terms once a new government steps in.
