Update
Fear of a coup
Soldiers advance to Bolivia’s presidential palace
26.06.2024, 23:10
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Under the leadership of a general, Bolivian troops apparently gained access to the grounds of the presidential palace. Bolivia’s President Luis Arce called on his people via television to defend themselves against a “coup”. Former head of state Evo Morales also got involved.
In Bolivia, soldiers have occupied the central square of La Paz and entered the presidential palace. A reporter from the Reuters news agency reported on Wednesday that an armored vehicle had broken through the entrance to the palace at Plaza Murillo.
Fears of a military coup were heightened by a statement by General Juan Jose Zuniga that the three heads of the armed forces wanted to “express their dismay”. “There will certainly be a new cabinet, things will change, but our country cannot continue as before,” he told a local television station. Later, the commander-in-chief of the Bolivian army reportedly entered the presidential palace.
After numerous military units marched in front of the presidential palace, President Luis Arce called on the people to defend themselves against a “coup”. “The Bolivian people are called upon today to defend themselves and mobilize against the coup and for democracy,” Arce said in a televised message from the presidential palace. “We cannot allow coup attempts to cost Bolivian lives again,” he added.
He had previously denounced an “irregular mobilization” of parts of the armed forces via X. His party colleague, former head of state Evo Morales, had accused Zuniga of planning a coup. He called on his supporters to support democracy. “We will not allow the armed forces to violate democracy and intimidate the people,” he declared. Arce and Morales belong to the same socialist movement, but have actually fallen out.
In Bolivia, there had been speculation since Tuesday about the removal of Zuniga, who has been in office since 2022. The general had previously announced that he would arrest former Bolivian President Evo Morales if he insisted on running in the 2025 presidential election, as announced. Morales, who served from 2006 to 2019 and resigned amid mass demonstrations, was barred from the election at the end of December 2023.