Bolivian President Luis Arce Thanks People After Failed Coup Attempt

On June 27, Bolivian President Luis Arce thanked the people after a failed coup attempt involving armored vehicles ramming into the government palace doors. The incident occurred in Sucre, Bolivia, and saw the arrest of the outgoing general commander of the army, Juan Jose Zuniga.

Newly appointed army chief Jose Wilson Sanchez ordered all mobilized troops to return to their barracks. President Arce called for the country to defend democracy and fired Zuniga along with the heads of the navy and air force. Arce stated, “Many thanks to the Bolivian people. Long live democracy.”

Armed soldiers had gathered around Murillo Plaza in La Paz, where the national executive and legislative offices are located. Footage showed Arce confronting Zuniga in the palace hallway, demanding the withdrawal of soldiers.

Former President Evo Morales also condemned the incident and called on social movements to defend democracy. Latin American leaders from Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Chile, Peru, Honduras, Paraguay, and Colombia expressed alarm and denounced the army’s actions as an attack on democracy.

The United States urged calm and restraint, with the Biden administration monitoring the developments. Luis Almagro, leader of the Organization of American States (OAS), condemned the events, emphasizing that the army must submit to the legitimately elected civil power.