(26 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mexico City, Mexico – 26 June 2024
1. SOUNDBITE (English) India Grant, Associated Press Reporter:
"What’s going on in Bolivia? On Wednesday, armoured vehicles were seen ramming the doors of the government Palace and army troops were seen on the streets of the capital, La Paz. President Luis Arce called the move a coup. Arce also posted on social media site X denouncing irregular mobilisations by certain members of the army. But why is the army behaving like this? The army’s general commander spoke on national television, saying enough is enough and denouncing attacks on democracy. Bolivia has a history of political unrest, including a coup in 2019. The country has seen intensifying protests in recent months and has a struggling economy. International leaders denounced the coup and in a statement posted on Facebook, the president and his government said that they would stand firm in any attacks against democracy. Shouting long live Bolivia! Long live democracy!"
++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
Armored vehicles rammed into the doors of Bolivia’s government palace Wednesday in what appeared to be a failed coup attempt, as President Luis Arce said the country stood firm against attacks on democracy and urged people to mobilize.
In a video of Arce surrounded by ministers in the palace, he said: "Here we are, firm in Casa Grande, to confront any coup attempt. We need the Bolivian people to organize.”
Arce confronted the general commander of the army — Juan José Zúñiga, who appeared to be leading the rebellion — in the palace hallway, as shown on video on Bolivian television. “I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination,” Arce said.
Before entering the government building, Zúñiga told journalists in the plaza: “Surely soon there will be a new Cabinet of ministers; our country, our state cannot go on like this." Zúñiga said that “for now” he recognizes Arce as commander in chief.
Zúñiga did not explicitly say he’s leading a coup, but in the palace, with bangs echoing behind him, he said the army was trying to “restore democracy and free our political prisoners.”
In a message on his X account, Arce called for “democracy to be respected.” It came as Bolivian television showed two tanks and a number of men in military uniform in front of the government palace.
“We cannot allow, once again, coup attempts to take the lives of Bolivians,” he said from inside the palace, surrounded by government officials, in a video message sent to news outlets.
An hour later, Arce announced new heads of the army, navy and air force amid the roar of supporters. Video showed troops setting up blockades outside the government palace. He said the troops who rose against him were “staining the uniform” of the military and vowed that democracy would be respected.
“I order all that are mobilized to return to their units, said the newly named army chief José Wilson Sánchez. “No one wants the images we’re seeing in the streets.”
Soon after troops and armored vehicles start pulling back from Bolivia’s presidential palace.
The leadership of Bolivia’s largest labor union condemned the action and declared an indefinite strike of social and labor organizations in La Paz in defense of the government.
The incident was met with a wave of outrage by other regional leaders, including the Organization of American States; Gabriel Boric, the president of neighboring Chile; the leader of Honduras, and former Bolivian leaders.
AP Video shot by Martin Silva Rey
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