Why the coup in Bolivia failed, according to the soldier who led it and is now in prison
Former Army commander Juan José Zúñiga declared to the Police that he was waiting for the arrival of support units that were delayed in reaching the center of La Paz.
The Minister of the Presidency, Maria Nela Prada, offered a press conference around 11:00 p.m. at the Casa Grande del Pueblo, accompanied by a large part of the ministerial cabinet. The objective of her intervention was to address the events that occurred in the Murillo square and the participation of the now former Army commander, Juan Jose Zunigaalong with a group of soldiers.
The Bolivian Police arrested a second former military chief for attempting a coup d’état
The Bolivian police arrested a second military leader on Wednesday night, accused by the prosecution of terrorism and armed uprising, during an attempted coup against President Luis Arce.
The Minister of Government (Interior), Eduardo del Castillo, announced the capture of the commander of the Bolivian Navy (Marina), Juan Arnez Salvador, without detailing the circumstances of his arrest.
Arnez was presented handcuffed at a press conference, along with the former head of the Army, Juan José Zúñiga, leader of the military movement.
Del Castillo pointed out that Zúñiga and Arnez are “two military coup plotters who tried to destroy democracy and the institutions of our country and failed.”
The moment a war tank collapsed the door of the Government Palace of Bolivia
General Juan José Zúñiga, who led the military uprising, was arrested outside a La Paz barracks and taken to a police vehicle on charges of terrorism.
This Wednesday, the Bolivian forces arrested the army commander who led a Coup attempt against the president Luis Arceshortly after rebel soldiers besieged the government headquarters for hours and tried to knock down one of its doors.
Evo Morales suspended the mobilizations called after the return of calm in Bolivia
The former president of Bolivia and leader of the ruling Movement towards Socialism (MAS) Evo Morales (2006-2019) suspended “the called mobilizations” after the dismissed military chief Juan José Zuñiga withdrew the tanks and armed soldiers with which he assaulted the headquarters of the Executive in what the Government considered an “attempted coup d’état.”
“After the withdrawal of a small group of military personnel who were in the Murillo square and if calm has been restored at the headquarters of government, we suspend the called mobilizations,” Morales wrote on his social networks.
Morales also thanked “all the expressions of solidarity” and supported “Bolivian democracy expressed by presidents, political and social leaders of the world,” and reiterated “the call for all those involved in this riot to be arrested and tried.”
Spain unanimously supports the Government of Luis Arce after the military uprising in Bolivia: “We call to respect democracy”
Pedro Sánchez, Yolanda Díaz and Alberto Núñez Feijóo have condemned the attempted coup d’état on social networks
By Alberto Lopez Marin
Few events manage to synchronize the Government and opposition in Spain, no matter how serious they are. There are always, at least, nuances. Bolivia has been an exception. This Wednesday, several tanks and heavily armed soldiers took over the square in front of the seat of power in La Paz under the orders of Juan José Zúñiga, who until a few hours ago led the army. He now he is detained. President, Luis Arcehas denounced an attempted “coup d’état” and has called for mobilizations in defense of democracy.
Luis Arce thanked the Bolivian people and the international community for rejecting the attempted coup d’état
The leftist president expressed his rejection of the actions of the now former Army commander, Juan José Zuñiga, and stated that what such measures seek is to “generate unnecessary uncertainty at times when we need to work to move the country forward.”
The president of Bolivia, Luis Arcethanked this Wednesday night the Bolivian people and the international community for his rejection of the “coup attempt” against his Government and reiterated his defense of the country’s democracy.
Bolivia’s Defense Minister confirmed that the former head of the Army who promoted the military uprising was dismissed on Tuesday
The Minister of Defense of Bolivia, Edmundo Novillosaid this Wednesday that the dismissed military chief Juan José Zuñiga was dismissed on Tuesday night, one day before carrying out his “failed coup” in a military action with tanks against the headquarters of the Government of Luis Arce.
“In my opinion everything originates from the statements of General Zuñiga in a television medium that is interviewed. The general makes a series of statements and the content of this was shared with Minister Maria Nela (Prada) and some ministers,” Novillo indicated at a press conference.
In the aforementioned interview, Zuñiga would have threatened to capture the former president of Bolivia and leader of the ruling party Movement towards Socialism (MAS), Evo Morales (2006-2019), if he tried to run as a presidential candidate in the 2025 elections.
According to Novillo, Zuñiga tried to speak with President Arce before his dismissal, but the president was busy fulfilling his agenda.
“Out of respect for the general (Zuñiga) we considered it prudent to speak with him, to tell him that his statements were not shared with the position of the national government,” added the Minister of Defense.
“He (Zuñiga) acknowledged that he committed some excesses and told us that he made himself available to whatever the captain general decides and we said goodbye in the most friendly way, with brotherly hugs. “He said that he was always going to be at the side of the President of the Government (Arce),” stated Novillo.
The Minister of the Interior assured that the intention of the former head of the Army was to “take command” of the country
The Bolivian Minister of Government (Interior), Eduardo del Castilloassured this Wednesday that the intention of the dismissed Army commander Juan José Zuñiga was to “take command” of the country and that the attempted “coup d’état” that occurred “was not a drill.”
Del Castillo, who publicly introduced Zuñiga to the media after his arrest, referred to the dismissed military chief as a “criminal” who sought to “overthrow a democratically elected authority (Luis Arce).
“What Zuñiga was aiming for was to take command of our country, to become captain general of the Armed Forces,” he said.
Likewise, the minister presented the dismissed Navy commander, Vice Admiral Juan Arnezwho is presumed to have collaborated and participated in the military takeover that day.
“These only two people did not act alone, they were not two people who planned and conspired to overthrow a democratically elected Government (…) there are other people identified,” said Del Castillo.
He pointed out that these events were “politically managed,” since some sectors had already announced protests this week and Zuñiga was seeking to “gain popular support.”
António Guterres calls on all Bolivians to “protect the constitutional order”
The secretary general of the UN, Antonio Guterres, This Wednesday he called on all Bolivians, “including the Armed Forces, to protect the constitutional order“, in his first reaction after the failed coup attempt this afternoon in Peace.
Guterres, who took several hours to speak, also did not use the word “condemnation,” but instead said “be very concerned about today’s events and reports of an attempted coup d’état”in a statement issued by its spokesperson.
The failed coup attempt, carried out by Commander Juan José Zuñiga – already detained – has earned the unanimous condemnation of the most important countries in the South American region, as well as the United States, the European Union, Spain and American multilateral organizations.
Zuñiga assured that Arce ordered him to remove the “armored”
The dismissed Bolivian military commander Juan José Zuñiga, accused of an “attempted coup d’état” against the Government of Bolivia, stated at the moment he was captured that President Luis Arce ordered him to take out the “armored armor” to “raise” his popularity.
“I will speak in detail on Sunday, at La Salle school I met with the president (Luis Arce) and the president told me that the situation is very screwed, that this week would be critical and something is necessary to raise my popularity,” he said. Zuñiga during his capture.
Zuñiga affirmed that President Arce had asked him to carry out a military movement. “I asked him: should we take out the armored vehicles? and he (Arce)” answered he “take out,” he added.
The dismissed military chief gave a list of the vehicles that Arce supposedly ordered him to move.
“At night six rattlesnakes and 6 urutus begin to descend, plus 14 zetas from the Achacachi regiment,” he mentioned.
