Armoured vehicles rammed into the doors of Bolivia’s government palace Wednesday, as President Luis Arce said the country faced an attempted coup.
“Here we are, firm in Casa Grande, to confront any coup attempt. We need the Bolivian people to organize,” he said in a video in the palace, surrounded by ministers.
Arce swore in new military leaders amid the attempted coup. The new military chief ordered the troops to return home.
Previously, Arce confronted the general commander of the Army, Juan Jos├й Z├║├▒iga, in the palace hallway, as shown on video on Bolivian television:┬а“I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination,” Arce said.
But prior to entering the government building, Z├║├▒iga told reporters in the square that there will be a “new cabinet of ministers.”
Members of Bolivia’s armed forces entered one of the main squares in La Paz on Wednesday, as the country’s president condemned the movements. Some in the capital held signs saying, ‘Democracy must be respected.’
“Surely things will change, but our country cannot continue like this any longer,” he told a local TV station.
“Stop destroying, stop impoverishing our country, stop humiliating our army,” he said in full uniform, flanked by soldiers, insisting the action being taken was supported by the public.
Arce called for “democracy to be respected” in a message on his X account.┬а
“We cannot allow, once again, coup attempts to take the lives of Bolivians,” he said from inside the palace, surrounded by government officials, in a video message sent to news outlets.
Bolivia, a country of 12 million people, has seen intensifying protests in recent months over the economy’s precipitous decline from one of the continent’s fastest-growing two decades ago to one of its most crisis-stricken.
The country also has seen a high-profile rift at the uppermost levels of the governing party. Arce and his one-time ally, leftist icon and former president Evo Morales, have been battling for the future of Bolivia’s splintering Movement for Socialism ahead of elections in 2025.
Morales announced a national mobilization of his supporters in the wake of the apparent coup attempt.
“We will not allow the armed forces to violate democracy and intimidate people,” he said.
In a video posted to Facebook, government official Mar├нa Nela Prada, who holds the title of minister of the presidency,┬а also denounced the “attempted coup d’├йtat” and accused those carrying it out of operating “in a totally irregular manner.”
“The people are alert, the Bolivian people are alert, the organizations are also alert to defend our democracy, which is the most valuable thing we have,” she said.
