Military troops and tanks were deployed on Wednesday in front of the Bolivian government headquarters in La Paz and attempted to break down the door of the presidential palace in an apparent coup attempt.
Bolivian President Luis Arce warned of “irregular mobilizations” of the military, just before troops and tanks were stationed in front of the government headquarters in La Paz in dramatic footage beamed across Latin American television.
“We denounce irregular mobilizations of some units of the Bolivian Army. Democracy must be respected,” the president wrote on X.
Local media showed images of troops deployed in Plaza Murillo in La Paz, where the government headquarters is located. A Bolivia TV station reported the entry of soldiers into the government palace.
One tank tried to break down a metal door of the presidential palace, which was later entered by General Juan José Zúñiga— the head of the Army until his dismissal on Tuesday.
According to Bolivian television, the officer entered the building for a few moments before walking out.
Zúñiga told the press that there is a “mobilization of all military units” due to “the situation in the country.”
The three chiefs of the armed forces have come to express our dismay. There will be a new cabinet of ministers, surely things will change, but our country cannot continue like this any longer,” he said.
Photos from journalists on the ground captured a tense standoff between Zúñiga and President Arce in front of the Presidential Palace in La Paz, with Arce blocking Zúñiga’s entry into the building.
Former President Evo Morales, himself overthrown by the country’s military in 2019, warned that “a coup d’état is brewing.”
“Right now, personnel from the Armed Forces and tanks are deployed in Plaza Murillo. An emergency meeting has been called at 3:00 PM at the Army General Staff in Miraflores, with attendees in combat uniforms,” he wrote on X.
Morales claims that there are presence of snipers from the Challapata Special Regiment “Mendez Arcos” in Plaza Murillo indicating a premeditated coup d’état.
President Arce urged his supporters to defend democracy and mobilize against what he described as a coup attempt.
“We need the people to mobilize against the coup d’état. We cannot allow coup attempts to resurface. We salute the organizations for their mobilization in support of democracy. Long live Bolivia. Long live democracy,” he proclaimed from the Casa Grande del Pueblo, adjacent to the Palacio Quemado.
In response to the president’s call, the military set up barricades to prevent people from reaching Plaza Murillo and used tear gas against protesters opposing their actions.
The OAS “will not tolerate any disruption to the constitutional order” in Bolivia, said Secretary-General Luis Almagro on Wednesday, condemning the irregular movements of the Bolivian army in front of the government headquarters in La Paz.
We express our solidarity with President Luis Arce Catacora. The international community and the OAS General Secretariat will not tolerate any disruption to the legitimate constitutional order in Bolivia,” Almagro stated in Asunción, where the General Assembly of the Organization of American States is being held.
Source: Newsweek