Bolivia Coup: General and Admiral Behind the Coup Arrested

After the coup that almost upended the country of Bolivia, the leaders of the coup, including General Juan Jose Zúñiga, were arrested for leading a group of soldiers and "conspired to bring down a democratically elected government."

"They will be charged with crimes that could see them jailed for between 15 and 30 years," Bolivia Minister of Government Eduardo del Castillo told a local TV channel. Also arrested is Navy Rear Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador, who is also accused of being one of the coup's leaders.

The coup itself was designed to topple the government of leftist President Luis Arce, with dissatisfaction in Bolivia rising as its economy continued plummeting under the current president. The soldiers, led by Zúñiga, tried to besiege the presidential palace with an armored military vehicle. However, they were soon repelled when the president rallied some civilians to oppose them.

Del Castillo added that the coup conspirators had been plotting "this attempt to destroy democracy" for at least three weeks before they tried to force their way into the government palace known as the Palacio Quemado. They were soon stopped by security forces and Arce supporters, with Arce himself confronting Zúñiga and ordering him and his men to stand down. They eventually did, with Arce soon replacing the rebelling general.

Arce met with the general with one of his senior ministers, telling the then-chief of Bolivia's Army that he had been relieved of his duties because his conduct "was not in line with the political constitution." Zúñiga accepted this, telling Arce, "No problem ... I'm a soldier of this homeland ... and will carry out whatever orders you give me."

Bolivia General Claims Coup He Led Was a 'Sham'

In the moments before his arrest, Zúñiga talked to reporters, and he threw the situation into confusion as he accused Arce of staging a sham coup in order to boost his already-faltering popularity, telling reporters, "The president told me the situation was fucked and that he needed something to boost his popularity."

This, of course, led to conspiracy theories regarding the coup, with allies of Arce's top rival, former President Evo Morales, as well as members of the opposition, to promote conspiracy theories regarding the failed coup.

According to Al Jazeera, the general had claimed that Arce's government was "impoverishing" the country as it continued to struggle to address Bolivia's economic woes as the country faces low commodity prices, dwindling foreign reserves, and a fiscal deficit.

Bolivians Rallying Behind President Luis Arce After the Coup, But Some Remain Weary

Despite this, some Bolivians have instead rallied behind the embattled president and slammed the coup plotters, with many marching in a rally to chant, "Lucho, you are not alone!" Luch is a common nickname for Luis.

However, some are also wary of this, with many also believing Zúñiga's claims of this being a "sham coup," with one lawyer telling the Associated Press, "They are playing with the intelligence of the people, because nobody believes that it was a real coup."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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