Guterres welcomed the peaceful resolution of Wednesday’s events, when General Juan José Zúñiga, head of the Army, together with a group of soldiers attempted to take control of the country by force.
The Bolivian president, Luis Arce, confronted Zúñiga, ordered him to demobilize the rebels and shortly afterwards he installed other military commanders in the Casa Grande del Pueblo amid the shouts of hundreds of people who gathered to support him at the government headquarters.
He appointed Major General José Wilson as Commander-in-Chief of the Army, who in his first public address ordered all military personnel to return to their barracks.
Zúñiga was arrested and the Attorney General’s Office ordered the initiation of legal actions to begin a criminal investigation against the general.
Shortly after these actions, the head of the UN called on all actors, particularly the Armed Forces, to protect the constitutional order and also preserve a climate of peace.
For its part, the United Nations Office in Bolivia urged people to act with responsibility, restraint and adherence to the democratic values that have been arduously built and defended over the years.
The delegation stressed the need to preserve a climate of peace and guarantee human rights, recalling the importance of resolving differences through established institutional and democratic mechanisms.
“Democracy is strengthened through participation and respect for the rules that govern peaceful coexistence. “It is time for all actors to avoid speeches and actions that could exacerbate tensions,” he said in a statement.
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