La Paz: Bolivian President Luis Arce has urged that democracy be maintained following a tense incident involving soldiers and tanks outside government buildings in La Paz.
Soldiers were seen attempting to force entry into the presidential palace, causing widespread alarm.
On Wednesday, journalists from international media reported that tanks and military personnel entered Plaza Murillo, an important place that houses the presidency and Congress. Eyewitnesses observed a tank trying to break a metal door in the presidential palace.
General Juan José Zúñiga, the army chief, briefly entered the presidential palace before leaving on foot, according to Bolivian television. The situation raised concerns about the stability of the government.
Arce, on the social network X, highlighted “We denounce irregular mobilizations of some units of the Bolivian Army” and highlighted the importance of respecting democracy. At the time of the statement, it was not clear if Arce was inside the presidential office.
Former President Evo Morales also went to X, warning of an imminent coup. He claimed that “a coup d'état is brewing” and attributed the alleged plot to Zúñiga. Morales called for a national mobilization to protect democracy.
Rumors suggest that Zúñiga faces possible dismissal. On Monday, Zúñiga appeared on television threatening to arrest Morales if he ran for president again in 2025, despite his disqualification.
Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, faced controversy in 2019 when he ran for a fourth term, contravening the constitution. Following a controversial election and deadly protests, he resigned and left Bolivia, but returned after Arce's 2020 victory.
Earlier this year, Morales supporters staged road blockades to protest his disqualification.
The Organization of American States (OAS) condemned the military actions. The Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, declared: “The international community, the general secretariat of the OAS, will not tolerate any form of violation of the legitimate constitutional order in Bolivia or anywhere else.”
