Supporters of Bolivia含羞草研究社檚 president rallied outside his palace on Thursday after a failed coup attempt a day earlier, giving some political breathing room to the embattled leader of this as they chanted pro-democracy slogans.
The South American nation of 12 million watched in shock and bewilderment Wednesday as military forces appeared to turn on the government of President Luis Arce, seizing control of the capital含羞草研究社檚 main square with armored vehicles, crashing a tank into the presidential palace and unleashing tear gas on protesters. Three hours later, the army general who led the attempted coup was in custody.
On Thursday, riot police guarded the palace doors and Arce 含羞草研究社� who has struggled to manage the country含羞草研究社檚 shortages of foreign currency and fuel 含羞草研究社� condemned the now-ousted Bolivian army chief, Gen. Juan Jos茅 Z煤帽iga.
Analysts say that the surge of public support for Arce, even if fleeting, provides him with a much-needed reprieve from the country含羞草研究社檚 economic quagmire and political turmoil. The president is locked in a deepening rivalry with the popular former President Evo Morales, his erstwhile ally who has threatened to challenge Arce in 2025 primaries.
含羞草研究社淭he president含羞草研究社檚 management has been very bad, there are no dollars, there is no petrol,含羞草研究社� said La Paz-based political analyst Paul Coca. 含羞草研究社淵esterday含羞草研究社檚 military move is going to help his image a bit, but it含羞草研究社檚 no solution.含羞草研究社�
Some protesters gathered outside the police station where the former army general was being detained, shouting that he should go to jail. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a shame what Z煤帽iga did,含羞草研究社� said 47-year-old Dora Quispe, one of the demonstrators. 含羞草研究社淲e are in a democracy, not a dictatorship.含羞草研究社�
Before his arrest late Wednesday, Z煤帽iga alleged without providing evidence that Arce had ordered the general to carry out the coup attempt in a ruse to boost the president含羞草研究社檚 popularity. That fueled a frenzy of speculation about what really happened, and opposition senators and government critics echoed the accusations, calling the mutiny a 含羞草研究社渟elf-coup含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� a claim strongly denied by Arce含羞草研究社檚 government.
In La Paz含羞草研究社檚 main Plaza Murillo, supporters addressed Arce, yelling 含羞草研究社淟ucho, you are not alone!含羞草研究社� as fireworks exploded overhead. Lucho, a common nickname for Luis, also means 含羞草研究社渇ight含羞草研究社� in Spanish.
Some Bolivians said they believed Gen. Z煤帽iga含羞草研究社檚 allegations on national TV that the coup attempt was a hoax.
含羞草研究社淭hey are playing with the intelligence of the people, because nobody believes that it was a real coup,含羞草研究社� said 48-year-old lawyer Evaristo Mamani.
Lawmakers and former officials also bolstered the allegations. 含羞草研究社淭his has been a setup,含羞草研究社� said Carlos Romero, a former official in the Morales government. 含羞草研究社淶煤帽iga followed the script as he was ordered.含羞草研究社�
Soon after the military action was underway, it became clear that any attempted takeover had no meaningful political support. The rebellion ended bloodlessly by the end of the business day. Arce named a new army commander, who immediately ordered troops to retreat.
含羞草研究社淗ere we are, firm, in the presidential palace, to confront any coup attempt,含羞草研究社� Arce said after facing down Z煤帽iga. Hundreds of surged into streets surrounding the palace Wednesday night, singing the national anthem and cheering for Arce.
Authorities swiftly arrested Z煤帽iga as his soldiers retreated from central La Paz.
The U.S. deputy secretary of state for management, Rich Verma, condemned Zuniga含羞草研究社檚 actions and speaking in Paraguay on Thursday noted that 含羞草研究社渄emocracy remains fragile in our hemisphere.含羞草研究社�
The short-lived mutiny followed months of mounting tensions between Arce and ex-President Morales, Bolivia含羞草研究社檚 first Indigenous president. Morales has staged a dramatic political comeback since mass protests and a deadly crackdown prompted him to resign and flee in 2019 含羞草研究社� a military-backed ouster that his supporters decry as a coup.
Morales has vowed to run against Arce in 2025 elections despite a constitutional court ruling that said he was ineligible because he had already served. The possibility of Morales running again has rattled Arce, whose popularity has plunged as the country含羞草研究社檚 foreign currency reserves dwindle, its natural gas exports plummet and its currency peg to the U.S. dollar collapses.
The cash crunch has ramped up pressure on Arce to scrap food and fuel subsidies that have put a strain on state finances, a combustible move ahead of elections.
Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo said Wednesday含羞草研究社檚 turmoil had its roots in a private meeting Tuesday in which Arce dismissed Zu帽iga over the army chief含羞草研究社檚 threats to arrest Morales if he proceeded to join the 2025 race. Arce has also denied the legitimacy of Morales含羞草研究社� presidential bid.
In their meeting, Zu帽iga gave officials no indication he was preparing to seize power, Novillo said.
含羞草研究社淗e admitted that he had committed some excesses,含羞草研究社� he said of Zu帽iga. 含羞草研究社淲e said goodbye in the most friendly way, with hugs. Zu帽iga said that he would always be at the side of the president.含羞草研究社�
Mere hours later, panic gripped the capital of La Paz. Tailed by armored vehicles and supporters, Zu帽iga burst into government headquarters and declared the armed forces sought 含羞草研究社渢o restore Bolivia含羞草研究社檚 democracy.含羞草研究社�
The influx of soldiers sent Bolivians into a frenzy, thronging ATMs, queuing outside gas stations and ransacking grocery stores. By one count, Bolivia has had and revolutions since its 1825 independence.
The country含羞草研究社檚 fragmented opposition rejected the coup before it was clear it had failed. Former interim President Jeanine 脕帽ez, detained for her role in Morales含羞草研究社� 2019 ouster, said that soldiers sought to 含羞草研究社渄estroy the constitutional order,含羞草研究社� but appealed to both Arce and Morales not to run in the 2025 elections.
Santa Cruz Gov. Luis Fernando Camacho, also detained for allegedly orchestrating a coup in 2019, demanded answers from Arce含羞草研究社檚 government on Thursday.
含羞草研究社淲as it a media spectacle put on by the government itself, as General Z煤帽iga says? Was it just some military madness? Was it simply another example of lack of control?含羞草研究社� he wrote on social media platform X.
Z煤帽iga含羞草研究社檚 answer came as a shock, telling reporters that Arce had asked him directly to storm the palace and bring armored vehicles into downtown La Paz.
含羞草研究社淭he president told me: 含羞草研究社楾he situation is very screwed up, very critical. It is necessary to prepare something to raise my popularity,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 Z煤帽iga alleged the Bolivian leader told him.
Bolivian officials have denied Z煤帽iga含羞草研究社檚 claims, insisting the general was lying to justify his actions. Prosecutors said they含羞草研究社檇 seek the maximum sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison for Z煤帽iga on charges of 含羞草研究社渁ttacking the constitution.含羞草研究社�
Political experts struggling to comprehend the reasons behind Wednesday含羞草研究社檚 turmoil.
含羞草研究社淭his is the weirdest coup attempt I have ever seen,含羞草研究社� said Kathryn Ledebur, director of the Andean Information Network, a Bolivia-based research group. 含羞草研究社淏olivia含羞草研究社檚 democracy remains very fragile, and definitely a great deal more fragile today than it was yesterday.含羞草研究社�
