According to a top prosecutor, Juan Jose Zuniga has been ordered to six-month “preventive detention” for his role in leading a failed “coup attempt” against the Bolivian government earlier this week. The six months of detention was requested by the Attorney General, who claimed that the decision was supported by other government agencies owing to the importance and seriousness of the events that occurred. “This preventive detention that the judge is ordering will undoubtedly set a precedent and a good signal so that this investigation can continue to advance,” said Cesar Siles, a state prosecutor. Zuniga has been charged with terrorism, which carries 15-20 years in prison. He is also charged for an armed uprising that carries 5-15 years in prison.
The “Coup Attempt”
Earlier this week on Wednesday, Zuniga led a group of military units that gathered in the main square of the capital La Paz, where the Presidential Palace is located. An armored vehicle rammed against the door of the palace, allowing soldiers to rush in and take control of the building. Within three hours, the soldiers were reported to have retreated, and police took control of the plaza instead. The rogue general was arrested by Bolivian authorities afterwards.
Zuniga had told reporters that the leftist President Luis Arce had told Zuniga to “raise something up” in order to boost his popularity, especially at a time when the nation was caught up in a string of economic and political unrest. However, these claims have been denied by the President and his office members. Other than Zuniga, dozens of others who were involved in the coup have been arrested. The attempt has been considered the most dramatic in recent years, despite its mottled history of over 190 attempts in the past two centuries.
New Strength on the Streets
In one of his first interviews since the failed coup, the Bolivian leftist President Luis Arce told reporters that support for the government had grown in strength following the attack, and that he would keep working till his last day. Arce says, “The support of the people in the streets and the international support we received has strengthened us to be here again to continue our work.” Luis Arce has been credited for driving Bolivia’s “economic miracles” since the early 200s as the economic minister under his former ally and now rival, Ex-President Evo Morales. Arce also denied the denied claims by the relatives of 21 people detained by the government of being innocent. They say that the detainees’ involvement was a result of being tricked by General Zuniga, who led the attempt. “It’s a problem of those who were involved, it’s not the government’s problem,” Arce says.
The Situation in Bolivia
The attempted coup occurred at a time when Bolivia is amidst intense political and economical instability. Bolivia has seen intensifying protests recently over its economy’s quick decline from one the fastest growing economies twenty years ago, to one that is one of the most crisis-stricken. There have also been tensions preceding the upcoming 2025 elections, where ex President Evo Morales intends on competing for the seat of his former ally Arce. Morales had been replaced by President Luis Arce in 2020 following intense political unrest during his tenure. The situation has caused a major divide in the socialist party. He also added that the government would be investigating whether the attempt was organized by the country’s political opposition.
Arce acknowledged the economic constraints on the Bolivian economy, which has led to a shortage of dollars, petrol at the pumps, and voter dissatisfaction. The president also took into account “internal and external interests” that added to the country’s pre-existing pressures, and disliked the country’s efforts to “industrialize our natural resources”.
