The Bolivian People Defeat Another Coup

“No one can take away our democracy!” Bolivian President Luis Arce addressed the people of Bolivia on June 26 to declare that an attempted military coup had been defeated.

On the afternoon of June 26, hundreds of military personnel mobilized under the orders of General Juan José Zúñiga in the center of La Paz, surrounded the Quemado Palace (the government palace) ahead of a ministerial meeting. They proceeded to break down the main door to the palace with a tank and attempted to enter by force.

Zúñiga then announced that the military personnel would free Bolivia’s “political prisoners” including Jeanine Áñez and Luis Fernando Camacho who are imprisoned over their involvement in the 2019 coup against former President of Bolivia Evo Morales. Áñez later wrote on X that she rejected the attempt by the military to destroy constitutional order and that “MAS [Movement of Socialism] with Arce and Evo should leave through the ballot box in 2025. We Bolivians will defend democracy.”

Morales called on the Bolivian people to mobilize in defense of democracy.

While the army attempted to storm the palace, hundreds of Bolivian people began to mobilize to demand that democracy be respected and the army stand down. These protests, which saw members of mass organizations, trade unions, and the public participating, were met with heavy repression by the military police officers, who shot tear gas indiscriminately and blocked off access to the Plaza Murillo.

The Bolivian Workers’ Central (COB) representing more than 2 million workers, declared an indefinite general strike and “the mobilization of all social and union organizations to the city La Paz to defend and restore the constitutional order and our legally established government in Bolivia.”

After an hour of the military encirclement of the palace, President Arce held a press conference to name José Sánchez as the new military command to replace Zúñiga. Sánchez ordered the military personnel to return to their stations to avoid any bloodshed of the Bolivian people and affirmed that he supported the legal and constitutional government of Luis Arce.

A video also emerged of Arce confronting Zúñiga in the palace and firmly telling him to stand down and respect democracy.

Shortly after the pronouncement by Arce and Sánchez, the tanks that had initially blocked off the plaza and surrounded the palace began to withdraw, and thousands of people flooded the area to affirm their rejection of the attempted coup and show support for Arce. “Arce you’re not alone! Long live democracy!” they declared.

COB and other organizations in Bolivia have celebrated the people’s victory but also called on the Bolivian people and the international community to continue their vigil against any further coup attempts.

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