Soldiers and military vehicles from the Bolivian Army are leaving the vicinity of the country’s presidential palace following what President Luis Arce said was an attempted coup d’état.
The withdrawal of troops was ordered by Bolivia’s new military chiefs who were appointed by Arce.
President denounces coup attempt
Arce denounced the mobilization of some army units in La Paz led by General Juan José Zuniga, warning of an attempted coup d’état.
“Today, the country is facing an attempted coup d’état. Today, the country is once again facing interests for democracy in Bolivia to be interrupted,” said the president in comments from the presidential palace, with armed soldiers outside.
“The Bolivian people are called together today. We need the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup d’état in favor of democracy,” he added.
Who is the general who led the coup attempt?
Since 2022, Juan José Zuñiga has served as commander-in-chief of the Bolivian Army.
But, on Monday (24), the military man made controversial statements against former Bolivian president Evo Morales, saying that he “can no longer be president of this country”.
His statements cost him his position, as the government decided to fire him on Tuesday (25). However, the military revolted against the Executive, leading the uprising.
Find out more about the general through this article.
Lula says “coup never worked” and offers solidarity
When asked by CNN At a press conference this Wednesday, Lula highlighted that he asked for information about the situation in Bolivia.
“I want information, so I asked Minister Mauro to call Bolivia, call the president, call the Brazilian ambassador, so we can be sure, so we can have a position,” said Lula.
“As I am a lover of democracy, I want democracy to prevail in Latin America. The coup never worked”, the Brazilian leader added.
He also made a post on social media reaffirming Brazil’s commitment “to the people and democracy in the sister country presided over by Luis Arce
Itamaraty condemns coup attempt
Itamaraty also published a note condemning the coup attempt “in the strongest terms”.
“The Brazilian government expresses its support and solidarity with President Luis Arce and the Bolivian government and people”, highlights the note.
“In this context, it will be in permanent dialogue with the legitimate Bolivian authorities and with the Governments of other South American countries in order to reject this serious violation of the constitutional order in Bolivia and reaffirm its commitment to the full validity of democracy in the region”, he adds.
US monitors situation
The United States is closely monitoring the situation in Bolivia and calls for calm and moderation, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said on Wednesday (26).
World leaders condemn military action
Several world leaders have expressed concern about the situation in Bolivia.
The president of Chile Gabriel Boric, spoke out on social media.
“From Chile, I express my concern about the situation in Bolivia. We express our support for democracy in our sister country and for the legitimate government of Luis Arce”, he highlighted.
The secretary general of Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro, condemned the situation in Bolivia, sending solidarity to Luis Arce.
“The Army must submit to the legitimately elected civil power, he warned.
Almagro also highlighted that “any violation of the legitimate constitutional order” will not be tolerated.
Evo Morales , former Bolivian president accused the troops of planning a coup d’état under the command of General Juan José Zuniga.
He called for “national mobilization to defend democracy”.
“We will not allow the Armed Forces to violate democracy and intimidate the people,” he concluded.
See the full impact of world leaders on this matter.
Source: CNN Brasil

Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.