The Bolivian general is arrested and charged with a coup after the dramatic confrontation with the president

CNN
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A Bolivian general has been arrested and charged with a coup against the government after attempting to storm the presidential palace on Wednesday.

Military units led by General Juan Jose Zuniga, sacked as head of the Bolivian army just a day earlier, occupied the main square in the capital, La Paz, while armored vehicles rammed the palace door and soldiers tried to enter government offices.

Hours later, President Luis Arce, who had called on the public to organize and mobilize in defense of democracy, could be seen confronting Zuniga in a crowded palace corridor, ordering the general to withdraw his soldiers. and leave.

After Zuniga was handcuffed and forced into a police car, a triumphant Arce raised his clenched fist to the large crowds that had flocked to the presidential palace, signaling the coup attempt's defeat.

His defense minister, Edmundo Novillo, later told a news conference that the government had regained total and absolute control over its military. We call on the population for everything to return to normal, he said.

Bolivia has a long history of political instability, including coups, and the failed invasion comes as the landlocked South American country of about 12 million people struggles with a spiraling economic crisis that has sparked street protests in recent months .

The country has been devastated by dwindling foreign reserves, especially the US dollar, and shortages of fuel and other basic necessities.

While being arrested, Zuniga claimed without evidence that he was acting on Arce's instructions.

On Sunday I met with the president and the president told me, the situation was very f*****, that this week would be critical. And so, it is necessary to prepare something to increase my popularity. And so he told me, he asked me, Shall we take out the blinds (vehicles)? Zuniga told reporters.

Justice Minister Ivan Lima denied Zuniga's claims, saying that he is lying and trying to justify himself for a decision he made and for which he will have to answer to justice.

The coup attempt was widely condemned by the Bolivian government and international leaders.

Bolivia's attorney general's office said it has launched a criminal investigation against Zuniga and all other participants involved in the incident. It is unclear where Zuniga is being held.

Earlier Wednesday, footage from the scene showed armed soldiers occupying Murillo Plaza, a main square in La Paz that houses the national executive and legislative offices.

Armored vehicles were seen crashing into the doors of Bolivia's government building, according to the Associated Press, after former president Morales, who is a member of the Arces Movement to Socialism (MAS) party, said on X that a coup was being prepared.

The video also showed some civilians confronting soldiers in Murillo Plaza during the coup attempt.

Bolivia's latest political showdown comes as tensions rise over former leftist President Evo Morales' plans to run for re-election against former ally Arce in next year's general election.

Before his detention, Zuniga addressed reporters in the square, surrounded by soldiers, saying: We want to restore democracy, as he talked about the country's economic problems. He was fired earlier for threatening to block a re-election bid by Morales.

The people have no future and the army has the courage to take care of the future of our children, the well-being and progress of our people, he said.

He pledged to release all political prisoners, including former president Jeanine Anez, currently jailed for what courts said was her role in the deadly protests that erupted after she came to power in 2019.

Amidst the chaos, President Arce announced new military commanders, including Zuniga's replacement as army chief, General Jos Snchez.

The situation appeared to have calmed down when Sanchez ordered the soldiers in the square to return to their units.

Armed vehicles were seen leaving Murillo Plaza soon after, according to footage from Bolivia TV. Arce also announced the new heads of the navy and air force.

CNN is attempting to reach the Bolivian government for comment.

Morales, who publicly split with his former ally Arce, resigned as president in 2019 after growing protests over allegations of election fraud; at the time, he claimed he was forced out in a coup.

Gustavo A. Flores-Macas, a professor of government and public policy at Cornell University, told CNN that the coup attempt reflects widespread discontent in the country.

What is happening in Bolivia is that broad sectors of society, across all social strata, at all levels, are very unhappy with the way things are, especially on the economic front. And, we have elections coming up in 2025, he said.

In that election, Arce and Morales seemed to be on a collision course. Both aim to become the next president, he added.

Fredy Mamani, Bolivia's former deputy foreign minister and an ally of Morales and Arce, told CNN that despite the undemocratic nature of the tanks, uniformed soldiers and the takeover, it is essential to emphasize that the Bolivian people are united in the face of any coup.

But echoing Zunigas' comments, an opposition lawmaker accused the government of staging the coup in an attempt to rally support.

What happened today in Bolivia is a really strange situation, Andrea Barrientos, a senator from the opposition Civic Community party, told the BBC. We can confirm that this was a self-coup, organized by the government of Luis Arces.

News of the coup attempt was condemned by international and regional leaders, including Paraguay's president Santiago Pea, the president of Mexico and the European Union.

We express our support for democracy in our brother country and for the legitimate government of Luis Arce, said Chilean President Gabriel Boric in X.

The US Embassy in La Plaz said it was closely monitoring the situation.

The Secretary General of the Pan American Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, condemned the mobilizations in the strongest possible way, in X, saying that the army must submit to the legitimately elected civilian power.

This story has been updated with additional developments.