Bolivia’s Arce says country facing coup as soldiers seize central square

LA PAZ, (Reuters) – Bolivian armed forces took over the central square in La Paz today and an armoured vehicle rammed the entrance to the presidential palace as leftist President Luis Arce slammed a “coup” against the government and called for international support.

Arce denounced the mobilization of some army units in La Paz led by General Juan Jose Zuniga, who was recently stripped of his military command, and demanded the troops demobilize.

“Today the country is facing an attempted coup d’état. Today the country faces once again interests so that democracy in Bolivia is cut short,” he said in comments from the presidential palace, with armed soldiers outside.

“The Bolivian people are summoned today. We need the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup d’état in favor of democracy.”

The United States said it was closely monitoring the situation and urged calm and restraint.

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.

Many do not want a return of Morales, who governed from 2006-2019 when he was ousted amid widespread protests and replaced by an interim conservative government. Arce then won election in 2020.

Zuniga said recently that Morales should not be able to return as president and threatened to block him if he attempted to, which led Arce to remove him from his post.

On Wednesday, heavily armed soldiers and armored vehicles gathered in the central Plaza Murillo square, which is home to the presidential palace and Congress. A Reuters witness saw an armored vehicle ramming into a door of presidential palace and soldiers rushing in.

Zuniga addressed reporters in the square and cited growing anger in the landlocked country, which has been battling an economic slump with depleted central bank reserves and pressure on the boliviano currency as gas exports have dried up.

“The three chiefs of the armed forces have come to express our dismay. There will be a new cabinet of ministers, surely things will change, but our country cannot continue like this any longer,” Zuniga told a local TV station.

“Stop destroying, stop impoverishing our country, stop humiliating our army,” he said in full uniform, flanked by soldiers, insisting the action being taken was supported by the public.

‘STRONGEST CONDEMNATION’

Morales, head of the ruling MAS socialist party, said that his supporters would mobilize in support of democracy.

He accused Zuniga of seeking to stage a coup and announced a general work stoppage including a call to block roadways.

“We will not allow the armed forces to violate democracy and intimidate people,” Morales said.

Public support for Arce and Bolivia’s democracy has poured in from regional leaders, while even conservative political opponents in Bolivia including jailed ex-President Jeanine Anez have strongly condemned the military action.

“We express the strongest condemnation of the attempted coup d’état in Bolivia. Our total support and support for President Luis Alberto Arce Catacora,” Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on X.