President Luis Arce of Bolivia has named a new army commander following an apparent coup attempt to oust him. Armoured vehicles crashed through the doors of Bolivia’s government palace on Wednesday.
Supporters of Arce gathered, waving the Bolivian flag and cheering in a central square. The soldiers later retreated.
While addressing the nation from the palace, Arce, surrounded by ministers, said: “Here we are, firm in Casa Grande, to confront any coup attempt. We need the Bolivian people to organise.”
“I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers. I will not allow this insubordination,” Arce said, reprimanding the general commander of the army, Juan José Zúñiga, who is leading the rebellion.
Zúñiga did not explicitly state he was leading a coup, but in the palace, with chants behind him, he said the army was trying to “restore democracy and free our political prisoners.”