Bolivian Army Chief Arrested After Coup Try

Bolivia’s army chief, General Juan Jose Zuniga has been arrested after deploying soldiers and tanks to government buildings in an attempted “coup d’etat,” President Luis Arce announced.

Troops and tanks entered Plaza Murillo, a historic square housing the presidency and Congress. I Photo: Rodrigo Achá Wikimedia Commons

The incident drew global condemnation as an attack on democracy, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Troops and tanks entered Plaza Murillo, a historic square housing the presidency and Congress. One tank tried to break down a metal door of the presidential palace. General Zuniga declared the armed forces' intent to “restructure democracy.”

Shortly afterward, soldiers and tanks retreated. Zuniga was later captured and arrested outside a military barracks, as seen on state television.

President Arce, addressing supporters, stated, “No one can take away the democracy we have won,” while former president Evo Morales warned of a “coup d’etat brewing” and called for a national mobilization to defend democracy.