STORY: A Bolivian general, Juan Jose Zuniga, recently stripped of his military command, was arrested in La Paz late on Wednesday (June 26) after President Luis Arce slammed a ‘coup’ attempt against the government and called for international support.
Earlier, Bolivian armed forces had pulled back from the presidential palace in La Paz after military units led by Zuniga had gathered in the central Plaza Murillo square, home to the presidential palace and Congress. A Reuters witness saw an armoured vehicle ram a door of the presidential palace and soldiers rush in.
A few hours later, a Reuters witness saw soldiers withdraw from the square and police take control of the plaza. Bolivian authorities arrested Zuniga and took him away, though their destination was unclear.
Speaking to the media before being arrested, Zuniga alleged that Arce himself had requested him to stage the coup attempt to “push up his popularity.”
Inside the presidential palace, Arce had sworn in José Wilson Sanchez as the military commander, Zuniga’s former role. He called for calm and order to be restored.
Tensions have been building in Bolivia ahead of general elections in 2025, with leftist ex-President Evo Morales planning to run against former ally Arce, creating a major rift in the ruling socialist party and wider political uncertainty.
