Attempted coup in Bolivia fails, army general arrested

LA PAZ: Armored vehicles and troops of the Bolivian Armed Forces withdrew from the presidential palace in La Paz on Wednesday evening, hours after an attempted coup.

Bolivian police arrested military rebel commander General Juan Jose Zuniga, who led the failed coup attempt.

Bolivian President Luis Arce condemned the attempted coup and called on citizens to mobilize and defend democracy. He also appointed a new army commander who ordered the troops to withdraw.

Earlier, soldiers led by General Zuniga marched on Plaza Murillo, a square outside the seat of government, and entered the old government headquarters, Palacio Quemado.

The presence of armed forces provoked a strong response from citizens, who gathered in the streets around Plaza Murillo, the epicenter of Bolivia’s political power, to denounce the military action.

Representatives of social organizations in different parts of the country also demonstrated in defense of democracy and joined the president’s call to protect the constitutional order.