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Bolivian police have arrested former general Juan Jose Zuniga, who orchestrated a failed coup attempt, with President Luis Arce asserting his authority over the military and expressing gratitude to the public for their unwavering support of the government.
Earlier this week, Zuniga, who had been dismissed as commander of the Bolivian Army, led troops in an afternoon raid on the presidential palace in La Paz. Soldiers took positions in the square outside the palace, where key government buildings are located, and media reports indicated that a tank was used to slam the palace doors.
However, within hours, Zuniga called for the soldiers to withdraw after facing widespread international condemnation for the illegal coup attempt. Leaders from around the world decried the army’s actions, urging a swift return to order.
Following the soldiers’ retreat, Zuniga was apprehended as the attorney general launched an investigation into the coup attempt. Alongside Zuniga, former navy Vice Adm. Juan Arnez Salvador was also taken into custody, according to Bolivia’s Government Minister Eduardo del Castillo.
“What was this group’s goal? The goal was to overturn the democratically elected authority,” del Castillo told journalists while announcing the arrests.
The rebel military leader had claimed his intention was to “restructure democracy,” and while he expressed temporary respect for the Bolivian president, he indicated that a change of government was imminent.
President Arce condemned the coup attempt, calling on the public to “organize and mobilize in favor of democracy.” In a televised address from inside the presidential palace, Arce declared, “We cannot allow once again coup attempts to take Bolivian lives.”
Addressing the rebel soldiers, Arce firmly stated, “I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination.”
The president hailed the withdrawal as a victory for Bolivia’s democracy. In the aftermath, Bolivian citizens took to the streets, waving national flags, singing the national anthem, and cheering in protest of the coup attempt.
“Many thanks to the Bolivian people,” Arce said in his address. “Long live democracy.”
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