Hear
Six hours after the military uprising in Bolivia against the president Luis Arcethe government of Javier Milei expressed himself about the situation through a brief statement from the Foreign Ministry that, although he proposed an “unrestricted defense of democracy in the region” and “condemned any attempt to break it,” he was far from pointing out the crisis experienced in the neighboring country as an attempted coup d’état, but as “irregular mobilizations of some Army units” of that country.
The message, of only 55 words, states: “The Argentine Republic reaffirms the unrestricted defense of democracy in the region and condemns any attempt to break it. In this framework, it repudiates the irregular mobilizations of some units of the Bolivian Army and expresses its firm support for the rule of law, while highlighting the importance of supporting democratic institutions in the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
Until then, the only official statement had come from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Diana Mondino, who used his personal account of He did not mention Bolivia or Arce.
“Governments, whether good or bad, whether they like it or not, are only changed at the polls. They are not changed with violent coups d’état. “Democracy is not negotiated”says the chancellor’s message, which was known once the military invasion of the presidential palace in La Paz had been quelled.
Mondino, who is in Paraguay participating in the OAS summit with part of his team, has been under scrutiny for weeks amid internal questions about his role. From his X account, the President limited himself to retweeting Mondino’s message, without additions. Then he did the same with a post by the Undersecretary of Press, Javier Lanari, who, together with the chancellor’s publication, added: “Take note, coup plotters. “Those from abroad and the historical ones of cabotage.”
The official statement contrasted with the messages of other political forces that quickly condemned the military uprising. “In the face of the attempted coup in Bolivia, the Pro Deputies bloc reiterates its historic position of unconditional defense of democracy, regardless of the ideological positions and political sympathies or antipathies generated by any government.”said the Pro bench of the lower house.
“We strongly condemn the attempt to violate the unconstitutional order in Bolivia and express solidarity with President Luis Arce and the Bolivian people. Our region years ago decided to live in democracy and committed to respecting the sovereign decision of its people,” said the UCR.
The attempted military coup began on Tuesday afternoon and the Bolivian government needed about three hours to quell the situation. The uprising was led by General Juan José Zúñigawho together with Army units had taken the Murillo square in La Paz, in front of the Palacio del Quemado, the center of political power in the country.
Zúñiga, who assured that he would appoint a new cabinet and release all the “political prisoners,” finally gave up his objective after confronting President Arce himself at the doors of the Government headquarters, who ordered him to retreat.
The sequence came to an end when President Luis Arce swore in the new command of the Armed Forces.
THE NATION
