Only a few hours ago, former army commander Juan José Zuñiga announced his willingness to form a new government “soon” “because the country cannot go on like this.” But the attempted coup d’etat failed. As soon as he was in charge, General José Wilson Sanchez Velasquez ordered all soldiers to return immediately to the barracks and “avoid bloodshed.” And the soldiers complied.
The coup attempt lasted just over three hours, but it was enough to throw Bolivia into chaos. Just after lunch (New York time), the military had occupied Murillo Square, in the heart of the capital La Paz, and raided the government building by smashing through the front door with an armored vehicle.
When interviewed earlier by the Bolivian press, former General Juan Jose Zuniga said that a new government would soon be appointed. “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. Stop destroying, stop impoverishing our country, stop humiliating our army,” he said.
Local channel “Telesur,” captured live footage of a military armored vehicle ramming through the main entrance of the presidential palace. From the footage, in full uniform, General Zuniga is seen jumping out of the vehicle and entering the building, surrounded by armed soldiers with their faces covered.
Just yesterday, Zuniga had been dismissed after publicly threatening former President Evo Morales, who called on citizens to take to the streets and respond to the coup. “We will not allow the armed forces to violate democracy and intimidate people,” Morales said.
The first message of alarm came from President Luis Arce denouncing on X, the “unauthorized movements” of troops in the capital. “Democracy must be respected,” the post concluded. In the end, order returned and violence was avoided.
