Coup attempt in Bolivia: A general is arrested, and the army flees the palace

However, the apparent attempt to unseat the incumbent appears to lack any real support, and even Arce’s rivals have joined forces to defend democracy and disavow the uprising.

The scene shocked Bolivians, who are no strangers to political turmoil; in 2019, Morales was ousted as president after an earlier political crisis.

As the crisis unfolded on Wednesday, military vehicles poured into the square. Before entering the Government Palace, Zuniga told reporters: “It is certain that soon there will be a new cabinet; “Our country and our state cannot continue like this.” Zuniga said that “for the time being” he recognized Arce as commander-in-chief.

Zuniga did not explicitly say he was leading a coup, but said the army was trying to “restore democracy and release our political prisoners.”

Shortly after, Arce confronted Zuniga in the palace hallway, as seen in a video on Bolivian television. “I am your commander, I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this disobedience,” Arce said.

Surrounded by the ministers, he added: “Here we are, resolute in Casablanca, in the face of any coup attempt.” We need the Bolivian people to organize.

Less than an hour later, Arce announced new commanders of the army, navy and air force to roars of supporters, thanking the country’s police and regional allies for standing by him. Ars said that the forces that revolted against him were “staining the uniform” of the army.

“I ordered all conscripts to return to their units,” newly appointed army commander Jose Wilson Sanchez said. “Nobody wants the images we see on the streets.”

Shortly after, armored vehicles exited the square, followed by hundreds of military fighters, while police in riot gear set up barricades outside the government palace.

The incident was met with outrage from other regional leaders, including the Organization of American States, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, the leader of Honduras, and former Bolivian leaders.

Bolivia, a country with a population of 12 million people, has witnessed intense protests in recent months due to the sharp decline of the economy from one of the fastest growing economies on the continent two decades ago to one of the economies most suffering from crises.

The country also witnessed major disagreement at the highest levels of the ruling party. Arce and his former ally Morales are fighting for the future of the dissident Movement for Socialism in Bolivia, known by its Spanish acronym MAS, before elections scheduled for 2025.

In the wake of Wednesday’s chaos, local media reports showed Bolivians stocking up on food and other essentials at supermarkets, amid concern about what might happen next.

But the country’s vice president, David Choquehuanca, pledged in his speech to supporters outside the presidential palace: “Never again will the Bolivian people allow coup attempts.”

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Janetsky reported from Mexico City.

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Janetsky reported from Mexico City.