President Luis Lacalle Pou strongly condemned the attempted coup d’état in Bolivia, referring to events that “attack his democratic and constitutional order”, while expressing his “solidarity with the legitimate government” of his counterpart Luis Arce.
“We strongly condemn the events unfolding in Bolivia starring a sector of their Armed Forces, that threaten their democratic and constitutional order. We express our solidarity with the legitimate government of President Luis Arce,” he expressed Lacalle Pou from your X account.
Later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRREE) also repudiated the events through a statement in which it referred to “attempts at democratic and institutional destabilization” in the country that recently became a full member of the Mercosur.
Chancellery He appealed to “respect the constitutional order legitimately established in that country,” while recalling “the obligation of State institutions to unrestricted respect for the commitments assumed at the inter-American level relating to the defense of democracy and the validity of the rule of law.” .
What was the attempted coup d’état in Bolivia like?
The coup attempt began when military troops and tanks were deployed this Wednesday in front of the Bolivian government headquarters in Peace and they tried to knock down a door of the presidential palace, according to AFP.
In this context, a tank tried to knock down a metal door of the presidential palace, which the general later entered. Juan José Zúñiga, commander of the Army, who entered the building for a few moments before walking out.
“We denounce irregular mobilizations of some units of the Bolivian Army. Democracy must be respected,” Arce wrote in X, while the former president Evo Morales declared: “The coup d’état is brewing. At this moment personnel from the Armed forces and tanks in the Murillo Square”.
“We call for a National Mobilization to defend Democracy against the coup d’état that is brewing at the head” of General Zúñiga, Morales added.
It is worth remembering that since Tuesday rumors have been circulating about the probable dismissal of the officer, in office since November 2022, following statements against Morales, once an ally of Arce and today his greatest political adversary.
In an interview with a television channel broadcast on Monday, the head of the Army assured that he would arrest Morales if he insists on running for president in the 2025 elections, despite the fact that he was disabled for electoral justice. “Legally he is disqualified, that man can no longer be president of this country,” said Zúñiga.
The message from the president of Bolivia
In a message to the country with his ministers from the presidential palace, Arce called on Bolivians to mobilize against the attempted coup d’état. “He Bolivian people today is called, we need the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup d’état, in favor of democracy,” he said.
Through a live broadcast on Facebook, the president denounced that “the country today is facing a coup d’état,” considering that “it once again faces interests so that democracy in Bolivia “are truncated.”
“Here is the Government with all its ministers standing firm here in Big house to stop any coup attempt, any attempt that threatens our democracy,” Arce said and declared: “We cannot allow once again coup attempts to take Bolivian lives. Long live the Bolivian people!”
Subsequently, the Bolivian president appointed to the Executive headquarters new commanders of the Army, thus announcing the displacement of the military leadership, after which the military withdrew.
The Army commander spoke of “political prisoners”
For its part, Zuniga He assured that he intends to “change the Government Cabinet” and said that he will “release all political prisoners”, alluding to leaders such as the former interim president. Jeanine Anez, pointing out that this will “reestablish” democracy in the country.
“We will release Añez, (the governor of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando) Camacho, imprisoned soldiers,” he told the media, while he was in front of the Government headquarters next to a tank.
Source: Ambito
