After a group of soldiers managed to break down the door and forcibly entered the Quemado Palace, the main headquarters of the Bolivian executive, President Luis Arce personally confronted the person behind the coup attempt that took place this Wednesday, the former commander of the Armed Forces, Juan José Zúñiga.
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The tense meeting between the president and the then general in one of the corridors of the Palace was recorded on a video, in which in addition to the exchange of words between both men, the screams and complaints of those who were guarding the president can be heard.
“Here is the town that is not going to allow it, general!” a woman is heard saying. “We are not alone. We cannot go back,” someone else comments.
Arce then intervenes, baton of command in hand: “Then obey my orders as captain. General, return to your orders and take all the military police to their barracks right now,” he says, addressing Zúñiga.
“That can’t be it, that can’t be such contempt. So much contempt. So much loyalty from the armed forces,” the former commander replies.
“General, what you are doing against the Bolivian people will not be forgiven”Arce insists. “Against democracy, against democracy! Against its people!” a woman says in the distance, while shouts take over the scene.
A new video is circulating about the meeting between President Luis Arce and military leaders at the Palacio Quemado. The President is seen rebuking them and showing the baton of command and the retirement of Juan José Zúñiga. Video: Álvaro Ruiz pic.twitter.com/Afn85tf1Cj
— Southern Mail (@correodelsurcom) June 27, 2024
“If you respect the military command, you say you are a good soldier, withdraw all these forces. It is a general order. It is an order,” continues Arce, pointing to the tanks and troops that were in Plaza Murillo, where the headquarters is located. of government.
“Are you not going to listen to me?” the president asks in response to Zúñiga’s refusal, who shakes his head from side to side and does not leave the spot.
“Do you know what this is?” Arce says to the Air Force commander, who supported the military action, while showing him the presidential baton. The commander, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, nods his head.
“That’s why he is your captain general. Don’t go back to the history of military dictatorships,” reiterates a woman who supported the president.
Immediately you see Zúñiga and the soldiers under his command turn around and, apparently, begin to leave the interior of the Palace.
President Arce tells how he experienced the coup attempt
The Bolivian president detailed this Thursday how he experienced the military action of Zúñiga and the armed forces that followed him in a press conference at the Casa Grande del Pueblo, headquarters of the Executive in the city of La Paz.
He reported that since midday on Wednesday he received unusual information about the activity of the dismissed military chief Zúñiga, because he did not answer the phone to the Minister of Defense, Edmundo Novillo, who tried to contact him on several occasions.
President Arce along with Vice President David Choquehuanca moved to the Executive headquarters.
We heard the sirens and they told us that they were tanks. We saw how the tanks came down and took the corners of Plaza Murillo.
“We heard the sirens and they told us that they were tanks, we saw how the tanks came down and took the corners of Plaza Murillo,” said Arce.
The president said that upon learning that the commanders of the three Armed Forces were in the tanks and did not comply with his instructions, he decided to confront them.
“We made the decision to go down and confront those who were there (…) I took my baton with my left hand that identifies me as the one who leads the Armed Forces,” Arce continues.
“Zuñiga made a haphazard appearance in the media and made unfortunate statements,” Arce stressed, repeating that this was the reason for his dismissal because during those interviews he “violated the Constitution” of Bolivia.
In these statements, Zuñiga threatened to arrest former Bolivian President Evo Morales (2006-2019) if he tried to run as a presidential candidate since he is “disqualified” according to the military.
The dismissed military chief Zúñiga was arrested along with 17 other officers accused of an “attempted coup d’état.”
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