A failed military coup attempt on Thursday in La Paz confronted Bolivian President Luis Arce with his worst crisis since taking office in 2020, in an already incendiary context: a country strangled by rising prices and a shortage of liquidity.
The institutional storm blew only a few hours, but enough to reveal the cracks in a country in serious economic decline, plunged into a succession battle at the highest level with the 2025 presidential election in its sights.
The motivations of army chief Juan José Zuniga, who had installed men and armored vehicles in Murillo Square, opposite the parliament and the presidential palace, remain unclear.
Before his arrest by the police, then that of the head of the Navy Juan Arnez Salvador — the two men are being prosecuted for “armed uprising and terrorism” and face up to 20 years in prison–, General Zuniga had said he wanted “to restructure democracy, to make it a real democracy (…) Not that of a few, not that of a few masters who have been running the country for 30 or 40 years”.
He also told journalists that he had acted on the orders of the head of state, who had asked him on Sunday to “stage something to increase one’s popularity” in the middle of a situation “failed” of the country, without giving further details.
President Arce, degrading General Zuniga and swearing in a new command of the armed forces on Wednesday, affirmed on the contrary that it is a “coup attempt by soldiers who soil the uniform”.
His Minister of Government (Interior), Eduardo Del Castillo, castigated “two military putschists who wanted to destroy democracy”.
” It’s an order “
There remain some powerful images. That of a door to the presidential palace forced open by an armoured vehicle and General Zuniga’s entry into the crowd, the securing of the square and the firing of tear gas by the military, injuring eight people, and the images of the conversation between Messrs Arce and Zuniga, broadcast by the presidency.
The former head of the Bolivian army, General Juan Jose Zuniga (C), is escorted by police officers after his arrest, in La Paz, June 26, 2024 / Daniel MIRANDA / AFP
“I am your captain (…) bring all the military police back to their barracks (…) withdraw all these forces now. This is a general order, you are not going to listen to me?”then reprimands President Arce.
The general looks at him and answers with a « non » categorical.
After the military withdrew from Murillo Square, President Arce appeared on the balcony of the presidential palace to greet the crowd that had gathered there. “No one can take away the democracy we have won”he chanted.
Later in the evening on X he said he was ready to “defend democracy and the will of the Bolivian people, whatever the cost” and thanked the countries “who condemned and spoke out in favor of Bolivian democracy in the face of the attempted coup against our government”.
Condemnation of General Zuniga’s action poured in from Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Russia, Spain who called for respect for the democracy.
Also condemning, the United States said Thursday that “events (…) clearly show that democracy remains fragile in our hemisphere”.
France called “to respect the constitutional order”.
Economic crisis and political quarrels
But for Gustavo Flores-Macias, from Cornell University in the United States, “The fact that the coup failed does not mean that the situation in Bolivia is resolved, on the contrary: it was a symptom of a very important discontent that exists in broad sectors”.
Because this episode occurs in a context of strong economic turbulence caused by the fall in revenues due to the low production of gas, its main source of foreign currency until 2023, a surge in prices and a scarcity of dollars provoking the anger of traders of all kinds, while a fuel shortage stretches the queues in front of gas stations.
An armored vehicle of the Bolivian army in Murillo Square in La Paz, June 26, 2024 / AIZAR RALDES / AFP
And above all in the background is the conflict between Mr. Arce and his political mentor, former president Evo Morales (2006-2019), both eager to run on behalf of the ruling party, the Movement Towards Socialism ( MAS), in the 2025 presidential election.
General Zuniga had expressed his firm opposition to a possible return to power of Mr. Morales, the first president of indigenous origin in Latin America who enjoys strong support throughout the country but who according to a decision of the Constitutional Court cannot compete.
