Bolivia's Coup: A Win For Democracy?

In June 2024, Bolivia's President Luis Arce urged citizens to take to the streets to defend the country's democracy from an apparent coup attempt. This came after troops seized control of a central square in La Paz, which houses government buildings, and armoured vehicles rammed the doors of the government palace. The attempted coup was led by the army general commander, Juan José Zúñiga, who was later detained on suspicion of terrorism and armed uprising. The coup was fuelled by intensifying protests in recent months over the country's economic decline and a high-profile rift at the highest levels of the governing party. However, the coup attempt ultimately failed, with troops and armoured vehicles pulling back from the government palace as supporters of Arce gathered in the plaza outside, celebrating the victory of democracy.

The coup was an attempt to restore democracy and free political prisoners

The coup in Bolivia was an attempt to restore democracy and free political prisoners. The country's army general, Juan José Zúñiga, claimed that the president, Luis Arce, had asked him to storm the government palace to raise his popularity. However, Arce denied these claims and confronted Zúñiga, ordering him to stand down. The coup was ultimately unsuccessful, as Arce's supporters took to the streets to defend democracy and troops began to withdraw from the government palace.

Zúñiga's actions can be seen as an attempt to restore democracy in Bolivia, as he believed that the country was in a critical state and that the current government was unable to resolve the issues. He may have felt that removing Arce from power and installing a new cabinet of ministers was necessary to address the economic decline and political instability that Bolivia was facing.

Furthermore, Zúñiga mentioned the need to "restore democracy and free our political prisoners," indicating that he saw his actions as a way to correct injustices and improve the political situation in the country. This suggests that he believed the current government was undemocratic and that freeing political prisoners was a necessary step towards restoring democracy.

However, it is important to note that the coup attempt was met with widespread condemnation, both domestically and internationally. Arce's supporters took to the streets to defend democracy and prevent a repeat of the country's history of political upheaval and dictatorships. Latin American leaders from across the political spectrum also spoke out against the coup attempt, emphasizing the importance of upholding democratic values and processes.

While Zúñiga's motivations may have been rooted in a desire to restore democracy and free political prisoners, the means by which he sought to achieve this were ultimately rejected by the Bolivian people and the international community. The coup attempt served as a reminder of the fragile nature of democracy and the ongoing challenges faced by countries in the region.

The coup was fuelled by tensions between two political titans battling for control of the ruling party

The 2024 coup attempt in Bolivia was fuelled by tensions between two political titans: former president Evo Morales and incumbent Luis Arce. The two men were once allies, with Arce serving as Morales's finance minister and succeeding him as president. However, a widening rift emerged between the two over duelling presidential ambitions. The schism culminated in Arce's expulsion from the MAS (Movement for Socialism) party and Morales's announcement of his candidacy in the 2025 presidential election.

Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, had refused to groom a successor or contemplate his departure during his time in office. He sought reelection to a controversial fourth term in 2019, with his narrow victory beset by allegations of fraud, sparking mass protests that prompted his resignation and the installation of an interim government. A re-run of the election in 2020 saw Arce, Morales's chosen successor, win the presidency, returning the MAS to power. However, the relationship between the two men soured as they battled for control of the ruling party.

The growing tensions between Arce and Morales, coupled with a worsening economic crisis, crippled the government's ability to manage Bolivia's financial woes. Arce's approval ratings faltered, and he faced roadblocks and rising economic protests from labour groups and Morales supporters. In the lead-up to the 2025 election, both men planned to seek the presidency for the MAS party, further exacerbating the political turmoil.

The coup attempt on 26 June 2024 was orchestrated by dissident officers of the Armed Forces, led by General Juan José Zúñiga, who had declared that the military would arrest Morales if he ran in the 2025 election. The plot lacked meaningful military or political support and was met with bipartisan domestic and international condemnation. The day's events included an assault on the historical Palacio Quemado and a face-to-face altercation between Arce and Zúñiga, with Arce demanding that the military return to its barracks. The coup attempt ultimately failed, and Zúñiga was detained and faced charges of armed uprising, assault against the president, and destruction of public property, among other crimes.

The coup was fuelled by a high-profile rift at the highest levels of the governing party

The 2024 coup attempt in Bolivia was fuelled by a high-profile rift at the highest levels of the governing party, the Movement for Socialism (MAS). This rift emerged between President Luis Arce and his former ally, the leftist former President Evo Morales, who was the country's first indigenous president. Morales had to flee the country in 2019 after what his supporters call a US-backed coup. He returned from exile after Arce's election in 2020.

Morales is now planning to run against Arce in the 2025 general elections, creating a major rift in the ruling socialist party and wider political uncertainty. This has resulted in escalating protests and tensions in Bolivia and a battle for the future of the country and its Movement for Socialism.

Morales supporters attacked what they saw as heavy-handed policing, accusing authorities and opponents of targeting them for being indigenous in appearance or dress. On the other hand, Arce supporters demonstrated outside the prosecutor's office, demanding jail time for the former army commander, Gen. Juan José Zúñiga, who led the coup attempt.

Zúñiga, who was detained on suspicion of terrorism and armed uprising, had recently stated that Morales should not be allowed to return as president and threatened to block him, which led to Arce removing Zúñiga from his post.

The coup was fuelled by intensifying protests over the economy's steep decline

The coup in Bolivia was catalysed by intensifying protests over the country's economic decline. Bolivia has been experiencing a severe economic crisis, with its economy transitioning from one of the continent's fastest-growing to one of its most crisis-ridden. This has been exacerbated by the country's dependence on the US dollar, dwindling international reserves, mounting debt, and a decline in exports. As a result, there is a shortage of dollars in the country, leading to a thriving black market. The economic turmoil has fuelled distrust in the government, with many Bolivians disbelieving the coup claims and calling for the president to address the economic issues instead.

The economic decline has been compounded by a high-profile rift within the governing party, with President Luis Arce and his former ally, ex-President Evo Morales, battling for the future of the Movement for Socialism (MAS) ahead of the 2025 elections. This political infighting has further contributed to the discontent and protests among Bolivians.

In June 2024, the economic and political tensions culminated in an attempted coup, with army general Juan José Zúñiga leading troops and tanks to storm the presidential palace. However, the coup attempt failed, and General Zúñiga was arrested and detained. President Arce urged citizens to defend the country's democracy and condemned the coup attempt, stating that he would not allow "coup attempts to take the lives of Bolivians".

The coup attempt highlighted the fragile state of Bolivia's democracy and the need for economic reforms to address the country's financial crisis. The protests fuelled by the economic decline played a significant role in intensifying the political crisis and pushing the country to the brink of a coup.

The coup was fuelled by a dispute over the 2019 Bolivian general election

The coup in Bolivia was fuelled by a dispute over the 2019 Bolivian general election, in which incumbent President Evo Morales was initially declared the winner. Morales had already served three terms and was only able to run for a fourth term after the Supreme Court ruled that all public offices would have no term limits. This decision was controversial and faced challenges from Bolivian citizens and constitutional experts.

The 2019 election was held on 20 October, and voters elected all 130 members of the Chamber of Deputies and 36 senators, as well as casting ballots for a joint slate of president and vice president. To win in the first round of voting, a candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote, or at least 40% of the vote with a 10% margin over the second-place candidate. Morales won with 47.08% of the vote, which was greater than a ten-point margin over his nearest competitor, Carlos Mesa, so a run-off second-round vote was not required.

However, there were disputes over the transparency and legitimacy of the elections, with critics arguing that the result was fraudulent. There was a near 24-hour halt in the vote count, and when updates resumed, there was a "drastic and hard-to-explain change in the trend", with Morales gaining enough votes to cross the 10% margin and avoid a second round. This fuelled protests and led to calls for a second-round election from several foreign countries. An audit by the Organization of American States (OAS) found evidence of "clear manipulation" and significant irregularities, and the European Union released a similar report. However, a later study by independent researchers found no statistical evidence of voter fraud, arguing that the initial report was flawed as it relied on poor datasets and used inappropriate statistical methods.

Morales initially agreed to hold new elections, but hours later, he and his vice president were forced to resign after losing support from the police, the Bolivian Workers' Center, and the military. The interim presidency was assumed by the second vice president of the Senate, Jeanine Áñez of the opposition Social Democratic Movement, on 12 November 2019.

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