On June 26, local time, the South American country of Bolivia experienced a dramatic attempted military coup. The military coup d'état launched by the country's former army commander Sounica came and went quickly, ending in three hours. The president defused the coup d'état, and after being arrested, Suniga claimed that the coup was instructed by the president. Was the coup "self-directed" by the president? Why are there so many coups in Bolivia? What are the intentions behind this coup?
coup
Armored vehicles crashed into the presidential palace
The former army commander said he was dissatisfied with the economic recession
On the afternoon of June 26, local time, La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, was facing a great enemy. A large number of heavily armed soldiers and armored vehicles appeared in the capital, La Paz, and marched towards the presidential palace, assembled in Murillo Square, and surrounded the presidential palace.
Piazza Murillo is the seat of the Presidential Palace and Congress. In the dense crowd, someone found the former army commander General Suniga, who had just been relieved of military command on the 25th. He was dismissed for threatening former Bolivian President Evo Morales.
Suniga was the mastermind of the coup, he used his influence in the army, led a group of soldiers to carry out a coup d'état, armored vehicles at the gate of the presidential palace several times at high speed, ready to break into the presidential palace to force the palace of President Arce.
Surrounded by heavily armed soldiers and eight armored vehicles, Suniga made a statement outside the presidential palace, saying that he was dissatisfied with the country's economic recession and asked the president to reorganize the cabinet but was refused. He will take over the government and form a new cabinet after the capture of the presidential palace. "Anger is growing in Bolivia, the country is facing a recession, depleting central bank reserves, depleting gas exports, and currency depreciation," he said. We still recognize the current President Arce as the commander-in-chief of the three armed forces, but there will certainly be a new cabinet soon, and our country cannot continue like this. The armed forces are interested in rebuilding democracy and making it a real democracy, not a democracy ruled by a handful of old men for 30 or 40 years. ”
Bolivian President Arce shouted to supporters through a video shot inside the presidential palace: "We need the Bolivian people to mobilize against this coup d'état and support democracy." We can no longer allow coup attempts to take the lives of Bolivians. ”
The majority of Bolivians chose to side with the government. After learning of the coup, they took to the streets and shouted slogans, confronted the rebel troops in the square, and some even threw fireworks as weapons at the troops.
confrontation
President Arce defused with a move
"Does the general dare to disobey my orders?"
But the military coup came and went quickly, and ended hastily in a matter of hours. With a strong response from the president's supporters and security team, the coup failed three hours later. Arrest in handcuffs and broadcast live on television, President Arce announced a new head of the armed forces, and the coup failed.
Suniga was arrested in handcuffs and the coup failed
Why was the military coup put down so quickly? According to the report, it was all up to Bolivian President Arce to resolve it. Surrounded by his entourage, Arce stepped out of the presidential palace surrounded by his entourage and confronted Suniga and heavily armed soldiers.
Dramatic footage broadcast on Bolivian television showed Arce shouting to Souniga, who had staged the coup: "I am your commander-in-chief, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow such disobedience." ”
Seeing that Suniga did not respond, Arce asked angrily again: "This is my order, General, do you dare to disobey?" Suniga nodded yes. A few minutes later, the coup soldiers left the presidential palace and Suniga was subsequently arrested by the police, and prosecutors will open a criminal investigation into Sounion and other those involved in the coup. As a result, the massive military coup was quelled within three hours, and Arce's supporters rushed to the square waving Bolivian flags to cheer.
President Arce, dressed in civilian clothes, walks out of the presidential palace
analysis
The coup leader claimed to be instructed by the president
Morales' return to politics triggers a coup?
According to the analysis, the reason behind the attempted coup is because former Bolivian President Evo Morales is preparing to return to the presidency.
General Souniga, who spearheaded the mutiny, had previously called out that former President Evo Morales should not be allowed to return to his presidency and threatened that if he tried to do so, the Bolivian armed forces would arrest him. This led to President Arce dismissing Suniga from his military duties, and Suniga would opt for a military coup in a fit of rage.
According to the report, former Bolivian President Evo Morales was a political mentor to the current president, Arce. Morales, who was in power for 13 years from 2006 to 2019, resigned and went into exile in Mexico, Argentina and elsewhere after being accused of rigging the presidential election results, which led to massive protests across the country, and the military.
After Morales stepped down due to mass protests, Arce won the election in 2020. A former economist with a reputation for keeping a low profile, he worked out the economic plan for Morales' 2005 presidential campaign before being appointed economy minister. He was the creator of Bolivia's economic "miracle" of the 2000s, which lifted many people out of poverty and allowed commodities including gas, metals and soybeans to flourish. He also pushed for the nationalization of sectors such as oil and gas.
But it was Arce and Morales vying for control of the ruling party, albeit former allies, that fueled months of simmering tensions, causing troops and protesters to pour into the capital, La Paz, amid a severe economic crisis. Dissatisfied with Arce's administration, Morales plans to return to China in 2025 to run for president and want to regain power, so there is infighting with Arce, and during this time, he has blocked Arce's attempts to borrow money to relieve some of the pressure through his congressional allies.
Before his arrest, General Souniga revealed to reporters that President Arce had asked him to lead an armored vehicle into the presidential palace. "The president told me that the situation is very critical and that it is necessary to prepare something to boost my popularity," he said. When I asked Arce if he was going to make a sortie of armored vehicles, he received a positive answer. However, this claim was refuted by Bolivia's Minister of Justice, Lima.
But there are also analysts who say that Zuniga is a military leader personally selected by Arce, and although he dismissed him because of Morales's criticism of Morales, neither of them wants Morales to return to the presidency. The attempted coup d'état allowed Arce to defuse it and help him win popular support.
unscramble
There have been more than 180 coups d'état
The United States has been accused of orchestrating the country's 2019 coup d'état
The attempted coup d'état in Bolivia was condemned by the international community. Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, Cuba, Chile, Spain and Honduras have issued statements condemning the "coup attempt." UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Bolivia's armed forces and others to protect the constitutional order and maintain a climate of peace.
Bolivia is a landlocked country located in the middle of South America, with a population of 12 million, bordering Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Paraguay. Bolivia is considered to be one of the richest regions in the world in terms of mineral resources, with major mineral resources such as gold, silver, lithium, crystal, oil, natural gas, etc., of which gold deposits are distributed throughout Bolivia, so it is called "donkey sitting on gold mines". In addition, the country has the second-largest natural gas field in South America after Venezuela.
Historically, Latin America has been a region of frequent military coups, and Bolivia has been a "record setter" for coups. According to incomplete statistics, in the more than 100 years from independence in 1825 to the 80s of the 20th century, Bolivians not only experienced defeat in foreign wars and several territorial cedes, but also more than 180 coups d'état, and six presidents died in assassination.
In 2019, former Bolivian President Evo Morales was also forced to step down in a coup. Morales alleges that a coup d'état orchestrated by the United States led to his forced exile. At the time, 16 audio clips leaked from multiple social media outlets showed that Bolivian opposition leaders called for a coup against then-President Evo Morales, and that the United States supported and participated in the coup plan. Bolton, the former national security adviser to the President of the United States, later admitted that he had been involved in planning foreign coups.
According to the analysis, in addition to domestic reasons, the coup d'état in Bolivia may also be influenced by external factors. Bolivia is the country with the largest lithium reserves in the world, and lithium is an important resource for the manufacture of batteries and ultra-light alloys. Arce's insistence on nationalizing lithium and plans to work with countries in the Global South to mine it has angered Richardson, commander of the U.S. Southern Command. Richardson openly claimed that Bolivia's lithium mines were being "stolen by America's adversaries" and advocated U.S. interference in Bolivia's internal affairs.
Huashang Daily Gale News reporter Guo Ji editor Li Zhi