The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, appeared victorious after frustrating the “attempted coup d’état” by soldiers who were stationed this Wednesday (06/26/2024) for several hours with tanks in front of the Government headquarters, in the center of La Peace, before leaving the place.
“No one can take away from us the democracy that we have won at the polls and in the streets with the blood of the Bolivian people. We want to thank you, we are sure that we are going to continue working,” said Arce from a balcony of the Government Palace in front of hundreds of followers. .
The heavily armed soldiers who blew down the doors of the Bolivian Government headquarters with a tank, under the leadership of the Army commander Juan José Zúñiga until this Wednesday, decided to withdraw after Arce changed the entire military high command after what he considered an “attempted coup d’état.”
Zúñiga – who threatened in a message to change the “Government Cabinet” to “establish” democracy in Bolivia – entered the Executive headquarters after the tank blew down the door and remained for seven minutes and then left. Upon his departure, he declared to the media that he would free “all political prisoners,” including former interim president Jeanine Añez, opposition governor Luis Fernando Camacho and “all military prisoners.”
Arce confronted Zúñiga at the door of the Big House of the People, seat of Government, and ordered him to withdraw the soldiers who accompanied him. “Withdraw all these forces! It’s an order!” the president shouted at the soldier.
They capture the dismissed military chief
Later, on Wednesday night, Zúñiga was captured and taken to a police vehicle outside the headquarters of the Bolivian General Staff. “My general is detained!” the Vice Minister of Government (Interior), Jhonny Aguilera, informed him, according to images from state television.
The Bolivian Prosecutor’s Office announced this Wednesday that it will open a “criminal investigation” against the now dismissed general and all the soldiers who participated in the “irregular” mobilization of the soldiers.
“Given the latest events in the city of La Paz”, seat of the Government and Legislature, the State Attorney General, Juan Lanchipa, “ordered the initiation of all legal actions that correspond to the initiation of the criminal investigation against of Gen. Juan José Zúñiga and all the other participants in the events that occurred and that constitute criminal offenses,” the Prosecutor’s Office reported in a statement.
ama (afp, efe, reuters, ap, dpa)
