Gen. Juan José Zúñiga led a failed coup attempt against Bolivian President Luis Arce by attacking the government palace with armored vehicles and promising to “restore democracy,” Associated Press reports.
However, the coup attempt was short-lived as Arce quickly appointed a new army commander, who ordered the troops to stand down. The rebellion ended after three hours, with the soldiers retreating and the arrest of Zúñiga and other military officials involved. Zúñiga accused politicians of “destroying the country” and claimed that the military was acting to “restore democracy” in response to political infighting and economic crisis. Zúñiga claimed that Arce had orchestrated the attack to boost his popularity, which Justice Minister Iván Lima denied and promised that Zúñiga would face justice for his actions.
The conflict highlighted ongoing political strife in Bolivia, particularly between President Arce and former President Evo Morales, over control of the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS) party.
