Upon arriving in Bolivia, the PT member says that the attempted coup against Bolivian President Luis Arce is “unforgivable”
The president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said this Monday (8.Jul.2024) that the countries of South America need to integrate in order to develop and make the region competitive. Upon arriving in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, this evening, the head of the Executive stated that the attempted coup against the government of Luis Arce (Movement towards Socialism, left) is “Unforgiven” and that the solution to political instability involves democracy.
Lula spoke about regional integration when asked by journalists what he thought of Bolivia 15 years after his last visit to the country. The president will be received by Arce in an official state visit on Tuesday (9 July) at 11 am, Brasília time.
“Sometimes I feel sad. I imagined that things would have evolved, with more investment, that Brazil would have taken better care of its partners because I really believe in integration. There is no individual way out for any country in South America. Either we learn to act as a bloc, and break away from the monotony and become a developed and competitive region, or we will continue to be poor.” he responded.
The Brazilian president stated that Bolivia’s economic situation is “harder” than it was 10 years ago, but said he believes in improvements. “I think all of this can change, Brazil has also gotten worse. We spent a year fixing Brazil and now Brazil is going to make things happen, in the most positive way possible”, he said.
Lula arrived in Bolivia after participating in the Mercosur heads of state summit held in Asunción, Paraguay, in the morning. In his speech at the meeting, the president defended Latin American integration. “based on qualified work and the production of science, technology and innovation to generate employment and income”.
ATTEMPTED COUP IS “UNFORGIVABLE”
According to Lula, it is “It is unimaginable to think that in the first quarter of the 21st century the problem will be solved by a coup, that the military could be the solution.”
“What for? The solution lies in strengthening democracy, in the participation of civil society, in the vote of the Bolivian people. There are no miracles, what exists is respect for democracy, which can allow for the alternation of power.” he said.
At the beginning of his speech at Mercosur, the president mentioned the issue and compared it to January 8, when extremists vandalized the headquarters of the three branches of government in Brasília. He said it is necessary “remain vigilant”.
“The unanimous reaction to June 26 in Bolivia and January 8 in Brazil demonstrate that there are no shortcuts to democracy in our region. But we must remain vigilant. False democrats are trying to undermine institutions and put them at the service of reactionary interests. As long as our region remains among the most unequal in the world, political stability will remain under threat. Democracy and development go hand in hand.” stated.
On June 26, a group of soldiers led by General Juan José Zúñiga took over the capital’s square in an action called by Arce “coup” against the government. An armored vehicle even knocked down the entrance gate to the presidential palace.
On the day, Zúñiga said that the military were searching “restore democracy” and called for the immediate release of political prisoners. After the president appointed Jose Wilson Sanchez Velásquez as the new commander-in-chief of the Army, soldiers withdrew from the vicinity of the government headquarters.
Zuñiga was arrested the same day by Bolivian authorities. He was detained at the entrance to the General Staff headquarters in La Paz. The general was immediately taken to the Attorney General’s Office. He will face charges of “terrorism” and armed uprising against the security and sovereignty of the State.
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales (Movement Towards Socialism, left) said days later that Arce had “mistaken” the Bolivian people and the world.
Both were political allies, but they have drifted apart and are now enemies. One possibility during Lula’s visit is that he will also meet with Evo. However, the meeting has not yet been confirmed. There is an expectation that the Brazilian president will act to unite the two main left-wing leaders in the country again.
Asked how he could resolve the dispute between the two, Lula responded: “How to resolve any conflict between human beings”.
The president said he will learn about the political situation in Bolivia on Tuesday (9 July). “In whatever way we can help to build unity and strengthen democracy, I think that is Brazil’s role”he said.
EVO X ARCE
The current president was elected in 2020 with the support of Evo Morales, for whom he was Minister of Economy between 2006 and 2017 and again in 2019. Morales was president of Bolivia for 13 years (2006-2019).
However, the two have grown apart over time. Morales began criticizing Arce’s management at the beginning of his government and has maintained constant mutual attacks with ministers.
When announcing his intention to run in September 2023, the former president named the ministries of the Presidency and the Government. He said that the current government’s objective is to hand Bolivia over to the United States. On another occasion, he also accused Arce’s team of corruption.
In December 2023, Bolivia’s TCP (Plurinational Constitutional Court) ruled that presidents and vice presidents of the country can only run for re-election or a 2nd term once.
The decision directly affects Morales, who is moving to return to the Presidency in 2025. He classified the decision as a “conspiracy”.
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