Bolivia unrest

Who is Juan José Zúñiga, the military man in charge of the coup attempt in Bolivia?, 06.26.2024.

The general has already spoken to the local press. "Stop humiliating our army," he said.

Juan José Zúñiga Macías has become the most visible figure in the tumult emanating from Bolivia, where there are accusations of a coup d'état after soldiers entered Murillo Square, located in La Paz, with armored vehicles on Wednesday.

"Soon there will be a possession, surely soon there will be a new cabinet," said Zuniga, who said that "for the moment" he recognizes Luis Arce as captain general of the Armed Forces.

He told several journalists that the military is showing its "annoyance" about the climate in Bolivia. "Stop humiliating our army," he urged.

On the eve, local media reported that Zúñiga had been relieved of his post.

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Zuniga, who began this week consolidated as the commander of the Bolivian Army, is an expert in military and general intelligence.

He was previously chief of the General Staff and at the time was accused of being involved in drug trafficking by another general, local media reported at the time.

Yandex Translate from Spanish.

https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/514122-juan-jose-zuniga-militar-alzado-bolivia
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President Arce swears in the new leadership of the armed forces amid coup attempt, 06.26.2024.

On Wednesday, army personnel surrounded the Murillo Square that houses the headquarters of the executive and legislative branches.

The President of Bolivia, Luis Arce, took possession of the new Military High Command on Wednesday afternoon, in the midst of the coup attempt.

Thus, José Sánchez became the new commander of the Army. At the same time, Gerardo Sabala was appointed the new chief of the Air Force, and Wilson Guardia became chief of the Navy.

"It's a special situation because no one wants the image we are seeing on the streets. That is why now, in my capacity as general commander of the Army and on behalf of the three force commanders, I ask, order and dispose that all personnel mobilized in the streets must return to their units,” ordered José Sánchez, the new commander.

Yandex Translate from Spanish.

https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/514146-luis-arce-habla-movilizacion-ejercito

Attempted military coup in Bolivia defeated, by Brazilian outlet Brasil 247. 06.27.2024.

Democracy prevailed in the neighbouring country after intense popular mobilization.

Broadcaster Telesur reported on Wednesday night (26) that the attempted military coup in Bolivia was defeated after a "civic-military union". Earlier on Wednesday, soldiers led by Army general Juan José Zúñiga stormed the presidential headquarters in La Paz and directly confronted President Luis Arce.

The images broadcast by Telesur showed an intense popular mobilization in defence of democracy. Arce thanked the people for their bravery in the protests. The Bolivian Workers ' Central threatened to hold demonstrations and call a general strike until constitutional order was restored.

Zúñiga is the main suspect in leading the coup escalation against the presidential headquarters. He served as general commander of the Bolivian Army from 2022 until this week, when he was ousted by President Arce. He lost his post after a series of threats against former President Evo Morales.

Yandex Translate from Portuguese.

https://www.brasil247.com/americalatina/tentativa-de-golpe-militar-na-bolivia-e-derrotada.

Bolivian Defence Minister Says Coup Attempt Could Have Been Caused From Outside, 06.27.2024.

Bolivian Defence Minister Says Coup Attempt Could Have Been Caused From Outside.

LA PAZ, June 27 — RIA Novosti. The attempted coup in Bolivia could have been provoked from outside, the country's Defence Minister Edmundo Novillo told RIA Novosti in an interview.

"We do not rule out that all this was spurred on, dictated by external interests. We do not rule this out. In relation to our country, there has always been an interest in controlling a political force in order to plunder natural resources. At present, the (main) interest is lithium. <...> We do not rule out that these actions were spurred on from the outside in order to break our democracy," he said.

https://ria.ru/20240627/boliviya-1955966069.html

Evo Morales says Luis Arce lied about Bolivia coup, by Brazilian outlet 247 Brazil. 06.30.2024.

"I must apologize to the international community for the alarm generated," said the former Bolivian President.

In a scathing statement, Bolivia's former President Evo Morales accused the current president, Luis Arce, of lying about the events surrounding the recent coup attempt in the country. According to Morales, " president Luis Arce deceived and lied to the Bolivian people and the world. It is unfortunate that such a sensitive topic as the report of a coup is used."

These statements were made against a background of growing political tension between the two leaders, who although they are part of the same Socialist Party but, have become rivals in recent years. Morales, who resigned in 2019 after a disputed election that sparked violent protests, now plans to run against Arce in the 2025 presidential election.

The context of the Declaration

Morales ' statements came to light after an interview given by Luis Arce to Reuters on June 28, 2024. In the interview, Arce reported that support on the streets strengthened his government after a failed military coup attempt a few days earlier. He stated that he will continue to work until the last day of his term.

According to Arce, the coup attempt was led by a dissident general, Juan Jose Zuniga, who demanded a government reshuffle. Disgruntled military units occupied the central plaza of La Paz and used an armored vehicle to break down the door of the presidential palace, allowing soldiers to enter. Arce warned that the country was facing a coup attempt and called on his supporters to mobilize. In a direct confrontation, he ordered the general to retreat, and hours later, with the support for the coup crumbling, the soldiers retreated. Zuniga and dozens of others were arrested.

Morales Apologizes

Faced with Arce's allegations, Morales apologized to the international community for what he called unnecessary alarm. "I must apologize to the international community for the alarm generated and thank them for their solidarity with our country. It is important that a full and independent investigation demonstrates the veracity of this fact," the former president said.

Morales questioned the veracity of the events narrated by Arce and suggested that a full and independent investigation is needed to clarify the facts. He stressed the importance of transparency and truth in Bolivian politics, especially on such sensitive topics as the allegation of a coup d'état.

Yandex Translate from Portuguese.

https://www.brasil247.com/americalatina/evo-morales-diz-que-luis-arce-mentiu-sobre-o-golpe-de-estado-na-bolivia

Apparently yes. We need further details.