Bolivia's government repulses military coup attempt

By James Blears

Bolivia's democratically elected government of President Luis Arce was challenged by rogue factions of troops, who attempted to storm the Presidential Palace in the capital La Paz, as two tanks rammed its main gates and soldiers entered the building.

But the President did not budge and swiftly named a new Commander of the army, who promptly ordered the troops to withdraw and stand down.
 

President Arce declared: "Here we are in Casa Grande to confront the coup attempt." In those corridors of power he confronted then Army Chief General Juan Jose Zuniga and bluntly told him, "I am your Commander in Chief and I order you to withdraw your troops. I won't tolerate insubordination.''

Zuniga complied by backing down and acknowledging the President's authority. He had earlier claimed that he was trying to restore order and democracy.

President Arce insisted that democracy will be respected declaring, "We can't allow coup attempts to claim the lives of Bolivians all over again." He then decisively sacked and replaced the heads of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

The new Commander of the Army, Jose Wilson Sanchez, effectively dealt the death knell for the attempted coup, by ordering troops back to barracks saying, "No one wants these actions and images on the streets."

All of this comes amidst growing unrest in recent months, with a significant economic downturn, in the run up to elections in the coming year.