The powder keg that is South America has produced another bang, as units of the Bolivian Armed Forces rebelled in La Paz and stormed the Bolivian Presidential Palace to depose Socialist Luis Arce.
A small group of Army troops, led by rebel generals, marched towards the Palace announcing that the current Bolivian Socialist Regime ‘was over’, and that and a new Cabinet would be installed by force.
Bolivia’s controversial Socialist leader, Luis Arce, denounced the ‘irregular movements of the army’, calling them ‘reactionaries and fascists’ trying to ‘overthrow Bolivian democracy’.
As is always the case, the formidable network of Latin American socialist leaders immediately rose in unison to condemn the ongoing coup: Arce’s Bolivian rival, ex-president Evo Morales, along with Chile’s Gabriel Boric, Mexico’s Lopez Obrador, Cuba’s Miguel Diaz-Canel, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and Brazil’s Lula da Silva, among others.
In La Paz, rebelling General Commander of the Army, Juan José Zúñiga, declared that there will be a a Provisional authority and a new cabinet and stated that ‘the country cannot continue like this any longer’.
Military Members of the Bolivian Army forcibly entered the presidential palace after ramming the gate with an armored vehicle.
But the dramatic action was unleashed by just a few troops, no more than a couple of hundred.
Other generals were either pro Arce or else were waiting for the public reaction and how it continues to unfold.
General Zuniga announced that the era of the MAS Socialist Regime in Bolivia was over, promising to ‘restructure the Democratic Rule’ in Bolivia, while accusing the current authorities of pursuing an authoritarian, far-leftist path.
The Bolivian Army promised to release the many political prisoners, such as the elected right-wing Governor of Santa Cruz Luis Fernando Camacho and the former Center-Right President Jeanine Áñez.
Meanwhile, supposedly deposed president Arce was very active, ordering the dismissal of the head of the Army General Zuniga and appointing the Chief of the General Staff of the Army Jose Wilson Sanchez Velasquez.
The new Commander immediately ordered that ‘all personnel who are mobilized in the streets must return to their unit’s barracks’.
Apparently, the coup plotters did not get the support they hoped, because General Zuniga left the Palace Square after in an armored car, and his destination is is unknown.
After that the rest of the rebelling troops withdrew the Palace and the mutiny appears to be over.
The latest development so far seems to be that a Criminal investigation was launched in La Paz against General Zuniga and other military coup plotters.
Bolivia is the second poorest country in South America, but it has become geopolitically important for its vast Lithium reserves.
BREAKING: Apparent coup ongoing in Bolivia as armored truck seen ramming into presidential palace pic.twitter.com/daIrTdVCTC
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 26, 2024
