Luis Arce, President of Bolivia, has been accused of staging a coup attempt last Wednesday in order to increase his popularity among the country’s citizens.
Last Wednesday, tanks and soldiers stormed the presidential palace in the capital La Paz, led by the army commander General Juan Zuniga. President Arce declared that “the country is facing a coup attempt,” and videos broadcast from the presidential palace showed the president ordering General Zuniga, “I am your commander. Disband all the soldiers now.”
Eventually, the army commander retreated and entered a military vehicle that drove away, and the “coup attempt” failed. However, shortly thereafter, rumors began circulating in Bolivia that the “coup attempt” was actually initiated by President Arce himself, who sought to boost support and popularity among Bolivian citizens. Army Commander Zuniga fueled these rumors when he told journalists, shortly before being arrested on Wednesday, that “Arce ordered me to stage a fake coup to increase his popularity.”
Alejandro Reyes, a member of the Civic Community party association in Bolivia, said that “there are indications, evidence, and statements that allow us to think that this coup was pre-planned, and could even involve the participation of senior leadership.” Arce himself denies that he was behind the “coup attempt” that failed and that it was his initiative to increase support among Bolivian citizens.
“We will never allow taking up arms against the people. What the former army commander did was to rise up against the Bolivian people, attacking the democracy that cost the Bolivian people dearly. We will never do this.”