Bolivian President Luis Arce said on Saturday that he is clear that the now dismissed and imprisoned former military commander Juan José Zúñiga acted under the influence of someone who “spoke in his ear” and motivated him to take power by force, but his plans did not materialize as he expected
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“He wanted to be president, he wanted to overthrow the government, he said it that day, he said that the military wanted to restore democracy and rebuild the country. It was a clear affront, a statement from an officer who wanted to be at the head of the country,” Arce said in an interview with EFE at the Casa Grande del Pueblo (government headquarters), in the center of La Paz.
Referring to the plans of Zúñiga, against whom on Friday the Bolivian Justice issued a preventive measure of six months in prison in the Chonchocoro prison, Arce pointed out that his expectations and ambitions led him to believe that he could assume the Presidency through a coup d’état. .
However, he is clear that Zúñiga did not act alone, that “someone spoke in his ear, warmed his ear” and made him believe that he could assume power through force, “overthrowing the democratically elected Government,” he said.
The president of Bolivia emphasized that, despite the efforts of Zúñiga and his followers, including the also on trial former commanders of the Navy Juan Arnez and the Air Force Marcelo Zegarra, the operation failed miserably.
“It went wrong,” he said, and despite the order to confine himself to barracks issued by Zúñiga, the Armed Forces did not respond in a unified manner and were also unable to woo the Police.
Military personnel are present with tanks in front of the headquarters of the Government of Bolivia.
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“He wanted to be the president, he wanted to overthrow the government, he said it that day, he said that the military wanted to restore democracy and rebuild the country. It was a clear affront, a statement from an officer who wanted to be at the head of the country.”
Arce stressed the complexity of the coup attempt, pointing out the participation of civilians in the conspiracy, without daring to give a specific name.
Arce stressed that the coup attempt was not an isolated operation and said that at a meeting held on Wednesday hours before the “coup attempt” at the Bolivian general staff there were not only active and retired military personnel, but also civilians.
“There were also civilians at that meeting (…) Obviously there is something else, which is precisely what is being investigated,” he said. Finally, the Bolivian president indicated that the reaction of citizens on Wednesday was another determining factor that led to the failure of the “attempted coup d’état” led by the military.
“It is clearer than ever that the Bolivian people are not willing to endure another coup plot,” he stated.
Zuñiga and two other soldiers are sent to prison for “attempted coup” in Bolivia
The dismissed former Army commander Juan José Zúñiga and two other soldiers were transferred this Saturday to the maximum security prison of Chonchocoro, to serve preventive detention for the “attempted coup.”
Police carried out a strong police operation from midday on Saturday at the Special Force to Fight Crime (Felcc), in the center of La Paz, and 22 minutes later Zúñiga was taken out of the cells in handcuffs and with two guards.
Before Zuñiga, the two other detained soldiers came out, Juan Arnez and Edison Irahola, who were also sent to preventive detention.
The three were loaded into Bolivian police vehicles, followed by at least seven other vehicles. The convoy has to reach the highlands of La Paz, where the Chonchocoro penitentiary is located, two hours from the city of La Paz.
The now dismissed head of the Bolivian army, General Juan José Zúñiga (C), is escorted by police after his arrest.
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The Justice Department determined on Friday that the dismissed Army Commander General Zuñiga and two other soldiers were sent to preventive detention for six months, accused of carrying out an “attempted coup d’état.”
The three were charged with armed uprising and terrorism. The Minister of Government (Interior), Eduardo del Castillo, and other Government and Police authorities arrived at the Felcc this Saturday to witness the transfer of Zuñiga.
When the dismissed former commander left in handcuffs, Del Castillo watched him from the first floor of the police station. Last Wednesday, Zuñiga led a military action with which, according to him, he sought to “change the government cabinet” and “reestablish” democracy in Bolivia.
Dismissed military chief Juan José Zuñiga gives statements to journalists during his transfer this Saturday, in La Paz (Bolivia).
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After arriving at the presidential palace in a tank, he had a face-to-face encounter with President Arce, who ordered him to retreat and withdraw the tanks and the soldiers who had supported him in the military invasion. After a few hours he was captured at the Army General Staff.
In addition to Zuñiga, Arnez and Irahola, 14 other military personnel were arrested for participating in the “attempted coup.” They remain in a preliminary hearing this Saturday.
Zúñiga transfer operation.
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EFE
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