Possible coup attempt in Bolivia: Who is behind the attack?

Images are beginning to circulate of a possible coup in Bolvia’s capital, La Paz. Videos published by the Latin American news outlet Kawsachun News show troops surrounding the national palace where the current president, Luis Arce, lives with his family.

What we know so far

Videos of tanks breaking down the palace doors are also circulating on social media, a confirmation that the Bolivian government is under attack.

Who is thought to be behind the coup in Bolivia?

The man accused of planning and leading the coup is Bolivian General Juan José Zúñiga, who was interviewed by a local television station earlier today saying, “We will take back our homeland.” He added that the country “can’t continue like this.” Zúñiga was fired by Evo Morales, who previously served as Bolivia’s president, which could have been what led him to take this dangerous and destabilizing action.

What have Bolivia’s leaders said about the possible coup?

Shortly after the attack began, President Arce posted on X that his government denounced some irregular troop mobilizations being untaken by the Bolivian Army. He ends the post saying, “Democracy should be respected.” The comments indicate that the Bolivian president is attributing the blame to specific factions of the military. However, as current events are still unfolding, it is difficult to determine which leaders have been most influential in mobilizing forces against the government.

The Bolivian leader was elected in 2020 and forms part of the political party Movement for Socialism, which is led by Evo Morales, who served as Bolivia’s head of state from 2006 to 2019. Serving for so many years made Moralels a mainstay of Latin American politics, and as a popular politician in Bolivia still carries a lot of weight within the political scene.

Morales was quick to release a statement about the political crisis: “We denounce that a Special Regiment of Challpata Group “Mendez Arcos” has taken over the Murrillo Plaza with snippets.”

He finishes the message by asking those “with a democratic vocation to defend the Homeland.”

Since these comments were made, the country’s Foreign Minister, Celinda Sosa Lunda, has published a video directed at the Bolvian public and international community.

The message in the video is similar to that issued by Arce and Morales, with Lunda denouncing the actions of some military members and calling on the international community to support the democratically elected Bolivian government.

*This is a developing story.