President Luis Arce Names New Military Chief of Staff and Aborts Attempt at Coup

 

Heavily armed soldiers on armored personnel carriers have pulled out from the central Plaza Murillo square in Bolivia’s capital La Paz after President Luis Arce denounced what he said was a coup attempt against his government.

A group of soldiers led by the commander of the Armed Forces General Juan Jose Zuniga occupied the square on Wednesday and entered the presidential palace. Arce condemned the “irregular mobilization of some units of the Bolivian Army” and dismissed Zuniga, replacing him with Jose Wilson Sanchez.

In the midst of the coup attempt, a new military command was appointed to remove General Zuñiga’s authority over the armed forces

While the panorama outside the government palace is in chaos, inside the Casa Grande del Pueblo, a protocolary act was held headed by President Luis Arce.

In the midst of the coup attempt, a new military command was appointed: José Wilson Sánchez , Gerardo Zavala, as Air Force Leader and Renán Guardia Ramírez, commander of the Bolivian Navy.

With this new appointment, General Juan José Zúñiga loses all the authority of the Bolivian military commanders.

During his speech given by the general commander of the Bolivian Army, José Wilson Sánchez , making use of his power he ordered the immediate withdrawal of all military tankettes, vehicles and personnel who are in the streets.

This order was accepted by the military police and other military forces, which began the retreat from the area of the Government Palace and Plaza Murillo and backing to the barracks, from where they left without presidential authorization.

According to the teleSUR correspondent, the tankette carrying the former army leader was the first to withdraw at full speed.

In effect, the loss of Zúñiga’s authority, added to the new commander’s order, leaves all the irregular mobilization out of circulation and restores the constitutional line, thus making the coup attempt considered unsuccessful.

The Bolivian people for their part have approached the besieged area celebrating the failure of the coup leaders and singing the national anthem.