What happened
Former Bolivian military commander Gen. Juan José Zúñiga was arrested Wednesday night after leading what appeared to be a short-lived bid to unseat President Luis Arce. Zúñiga led soldiers and armored vehicles into La Paz's central Plaza Murillo and tried to occupy the presidential palace, but the soldiers pulled back after a newly installed army commander ordered them to return to their barracks.
Who said what
"The armed forces intend to restore the democracy, to make it a true democracy," Zúñiga said in televised remarks after refusing Arce's face-to-face command to stand down. The apparent coup attempt came amid an economic crisis exacerbated by tensions between Arce and his former ally, leftist ex-president Evo Morales.
Arce celebrated his government's success in "pushing back this attempted coup," telling a crowd in Plaza Murillo that "the only ones who can remove us from here are you."
What next?
Prosecutors said they will seek the maximum prison sentence of 15 to 20 years for Zúñiga, who claimed without evidence after his arrest that Arce had recently asked him to "prepare something to raise my popularity" ahead of 2025 elections, specifically encouraging him to "take out the armored vehicles." The government denied that claim.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Under siege: Argentina’s president drops his chainsawTalking Point The self-proclaimed ‘first anarcho-capitalist president in world history’ faces mounting troubles
-
Nadine Menendez gets 4.5 years in bribery caseSpeed Read Menendez's husband was previously sentenced to 11 years in prison
-
Koreans detained in US Hyundai raid return homeSpeed Read Over 300 Koreans were detained at the plant last week
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years for coup attemptSpeed Read Bolsonaro was convicted of attempting to stay in power following his 2022 election loss
-
Former top FBI agents sue, claiming Trump purgeSpeed Read The agents alleged they were targeted by a “campaign of retribution”
-
Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk shot dead at 31Speed Read Kirk was holding a debate session at Utah Valley University
-
Judge lets Cook stay at Fed while appealing ousterSpeed Read Trump had attempted to fire Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud
