Who Deemed Bolivia A Coup And Why?

On 26 June 2024, an attempted coup in Bolivia took place, led by General Juan José Zúñiga, who claimed to have popular support. The coup was met with swift international condemnation, with heads of state of several Latin American countries expressing support for the incumbent democratic government. However, some candidates, including Evo Morales, a former president, and Gerardo García, the MAS vice-president, accused the incumbent president, Luis Arce, of orchestrating a self-coup to boost his popularity.

Luis Arce's response to the coup

On 26 June 2024, Bolivian President Luis Arce denounced an attempted coup against his left-wing government. He urged citizens to take to the streets to defend the country's democracy, stating:

> We need the Bolivian people to mobilise and organise themselves against this coup d'état and in favour of democracy. We cannot allow, once again, attempted coups to claim Bolivian lives.

Arce's administration and Latin American leaders claimed an army-led putsch was underway. Vice-President David Choquehuanca tweeted:

> We denounce to the international community that a coup attempt is unfolding against our democratically elected government.

In a video message, Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa Lunda claimed some army units had launched an attack on "democracy, peace and national security".

Arce confronted the coup leader, former army chief Juan José Zúñiga, at the Palacio Quemado, ordering him to stand down:

> I am your captain... withdraw all of your troops right now, general.

Zúñiga left the building and was later arrested on suspicion of terrorism and armed uprising. Arce subsequently appointed a new military command, which ordered mutinous troops back to their barracks.

In the aftermath, Arce's supporters took to the streets to denounce the attempted coup. Latin American leaders from across the political spectrum also spoke out against the attempted power grab.

Evo Morales' role

Evo Morales was the incumbent President of Bolivia during the 2019 Bolivian political crisis. Morales was initially declared the winner of the 2019 Bolivian general election, which took place after a referendum to amend the Bolivian constitution to limit the number of terms to two was rejected in 2016. However, Morales was allowed to run for a fourth term after the Constitutional Tribunal (TCP) ruled that all public offices would have no term limits.

The election results were disputed, with the opposition claiming fraud. Protests and civil unrest ensued, with calls for an audit of the election process and results. An audit by the Organization of American States (OAS) and observers from the European Union found significant irregularities in the electoral process. Under pressure from the military, police, and civil society groups, Morales resigned on November 10, 2019, and sought political asylum in Mexico.

Morales and his supporters maintained that the events constituted a coup d'état, while others described it as a popular uprising. The interim government, led by Jeanine Áñez, launched a campaign against Morales's supporters, charging him with "terrorism and sedition." The unrest resulted in massacres in Senkata and Sacaba.

In August 2021, a report commissioned by the OAS concluded that the Áñez government's rise to power was marked by "irregularities" and serious human rights abuses by security forces. In June 2022, Áñez was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison for her role in the political crisis.

The role of the military

The military's support for Áñez was not without controversy, as her initial appointment was made during a brief legislative session that lacked a quorum due to a boycott by Morales's party, the Movement for Socialism (MAS). However, the MAS ruling party eventually returned most of its members to both chambers and committed to working with the interim government towards new elections.

The military also played a role in the unrest that followed Áñez's assumption of the presidency. On November 10, 2019, rioters overran the city of La Paz, with some groups of police joining the protests against Morales. The military was deployed to defend key infrastructure and services, such as gas, water, and electricity, and to conduct joint patrols with the police around the city.

Additionally, the military made the decision to force Morales to resign, with General Williams Kaliman suggesting that Morales step down to help restore peace and stability after weeks of protests over the disputed election results. The military also conducted operations to "neutralize" any armed groups that attacked the protesters. However, the military's involvement in the political crisis was not without internal divisions, with some officers refusing to take action against protesters and returning to their stations, while others began to mutiny against the Morales government.

In the weeks following the resignation of Morales and his allies, the military was granted impunity by Áñez to quell protesters, which resulted in the massacres of Senkata and Sacaba, where at least 18 people were killed by the military. This decision was met with international criticism, with human rights organizations expressing concern over the use of lethal force and the granting of immunity to the military.

In summary, the military played a significant role in the 2019 Bolivian political crisis, from recommending Morales's resignation to supporting the transition of power to Áñez and quelling protests. However, the military's involvement was not without internal divisions and controversy, and their actions ultimately led to violent clashes and loss of life.

International reactions

The coup attempt also sparked discussions at the OAS annual General Assembly, which issued a unanimous resolution expressing "serious concern" over the events and denouncing the coup plotters for their "flagrant insubordination." The United States stated that it had no involvement in the coup.

The international community's response to the coup played a role in its failure, with Bolivian Ambassador to the OAS Héctor Arce thanking the body for its support and stating that "strong international condemnation" was a factor in the coup's collapse.

The aftermath

In the wake of the coup, there were arrests and detentions of those involved in the plot. General Juan José Zúñiga, the alleged leader of the coup, was arrested and faced charges of terrorism and armed uprising, among other crimes. Several other military officials, including Vice Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador and former heads of the army, were also detained and faced similar charges. A total of at least 30 people were arrested in connection with the coup attempt, including both military personnel and civilian masterminds.

The coup attempt also had repercussions for the government and the country's political landscape. President Luis Arce, who had denounced the coup and rallied citizens to defend democracy, faced accusations from opponents that he had staged the coup himself to boost his flagging popularity and deflect attention from the struggling economy. These accusations were vehemently denied by Arce and his administration, who asserted that the coup was a genuine threat orchestrated by dissident officers within the Armed Forces.

The coup attempt also sparked international reactions and responses. Latin American leaders from across the political spectrum spoke out against the attempted power grab, with heads of state from neighbouring countries expressing solidarity with the Bolivian government and denouncing the coup. The European Union, the United States, and other international organizations also expressed concern and monitored the situation closely. However, the government of Argentina denied the authenticity of the coup and endorsed the narrative of a "fraudulent" self-coup, leading to diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

In the months following the coup attempt, Bolivia continued to grapple with economic turmoil and political uncertainty. Tensions remained high between supporters of Arce and Morales, and the country faced ongoing challenges in addressing the financial crisis and restoring stability. The coup attempt had exposed the deep ideological divide within the country and the fragility of its democratic institutions.

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