Bolivia president denies any involvement or prior knowledge of failed coup

[sl8]

https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240628-bolivia-president-denies-any-involvement-or-prior-knowledge-of-failed-coup

Bolivia president denies any involvement or prior knowledge of failed coup

Bolivian President Luis Arce on Thursday denied any involvement or prior knowledge of a failed coup attempt led by the country's former top military commander who alleged the president had asked him to do something to boost his popularity.

Issued on: 28/06/2024 - 06:06 2 min

By: NEWS WIRES

"We were never informed about his intentions," Arce told reporters during a press conference at government headquarters. "We were surprised."

The mobilisation of military units on Wednesday saw Juan Jose Zuniga gather troops in the main square of capital La Paz, ramming a palace door with an armoured vehicle to allow soldiers to rush into the buildin

Zuniga, who was soon arrested, told reporters that Arce had asked him to help boost popularity.

Local news agency Fides reported Zuniga told police Arce had three days earlier authorised him to mobilise the armored vehicles "with the objective of controlling the situation of conflicts in the country."

[...]

[Judi Lynn]

1. Bolivia's president lambasts accusations of a self-coup as 'lies' as his supporters rally

The nation of 12 million watched in shock and bewilderment Wednesday as Bolivian military forces appeared to turn on the government of President Luis Arce, seizing control of the capital’s main square with armored personnel carriers, crashing a tank into the palace and unleashing tear gas on protesters who flooded the streets.

Updated 21 hrs ago
June 27, 2024
3 min read

By Paola Flores And Isabel Debre The Associated Press

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivian President Luis Arce on Thursday angrily called accusations that he was behind an attempted coup against his government “lies,” saying the general who apparently led it acted on his own and vowing that he would face justice.

Arce’s comments, his first to the press since Wednesday’s failed apparent coup, came after the general involved, Juan José Zúñiga, alleged without providing evidence that the president had ordered him to carry out the mutiny in a ruse to boost his flagging popularity.

That fueled speculation about what really happened, even after the government announced the arrest of 17 people, most of them military officers. Opposition senators and government critics joined the chorus of doubters, calling the mutiny a “self-coup.”

Some Bolivians said they believed Zúñiga’s allegations. “They are playing with the intelligence of the people, because nobody believes that it was a real coup,” said 48-year-old lawyer Evaristo Mamani.

More:
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/americas/bolivia-s-president-lambasts-accusations-of-a-self-coup-as-lies-as-his-supporters-rally/article_26e233f5-8912-5a5a-bed6-46747d48456c.html

(My bolding)

[Judi Lynn]

2. Bolivia's leader says the general accused of leading failed coup wanted to 'take over' as president

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivian President Luis Arce said Friday a former general planned to “take over” the government and become president in a failed coup , and he denied that the Andean nation was in an economic crisis.

Megan Janetsky And Carlos Valdez, The Associated Press
about 2 hours ago

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivian President Luis Arce said Friday a former general planned to “take over” the government and become president in a failed coup, and he denied that the Andean nation was in an economic crisis.

In an interview with The Associated Press, the embattled leader denied once again that Wednesday's attack on the government palace was a “self-coup” designed to garner him political points.

“I didn’t escape. I stayed to defend democracy," Arce said.

Arce washed his hands of claims by relatives of the 21 people detained by the government that they were innocent of attempting a coup and had been tricked by ex-Gen. Juan Jose Zúñiga.

“It’s a problem of those who were involved, it’s not the government’s problem,” Arce told AP.

More:
https://www.burnabynow.com/world-news/bolivias-leader-says-the-general-accused-of-leading-failed-coup-wanted-to-take-over-as-president-9155665

[Judi Lynn]

3. Analysis: was Bolivia's failed military coup, really a coup?

An estranged army general led troops into Bolivia’s presidential palace. Why is President Arce accused of orchestrating it?

Alex Blair
June 28, 2024

An attempted military “coup” in Bolivia has been entirely thwarted following the arrest of its architect, General Juan José Zúñiga, according to President Luis Arce and Bolivia’s Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Zúñiga, who Arce had recently stripped of his military titles, led approximately 200 soldiers to march on the presidential palace and Congress in La Paz, Bolivia’s capital on Wednesday 26 June 2024.

Half a dozen tanks and other military vehicles were used, national outlet El Diario reported. One armoured vehicle reportedly rammed into the main door of the presidential palace.

Link to tweet

More:
https://www.airforce-technology.com/features/analysis-was-bolivias-failed-military-coup-really-a-coup/