A top Bolivian general, Juan Jose Zuniga, and allied members of the military attempted a coup yesterday, storming the presidential palace in La Paz before quickly retreating less than three hours later. Zuniga, who had been dismissed from his position as commander of Bolivia’s army earlier this week, was promptly taken into custody. (New York Times)
Our Take
Although the attempted coup in Bolivia is shocking and alarming, it was also not a terribly serious plot. Zuniga appears to be merely a disgruntled reassigned general and clearly did not have much support. Still, that does not mean the implications aren’t serious, especially because yesterday’s events come at a time of volatility for Bolivia.
In the past few years, Bolivian politics has been defined by the rivalry between President Luis Arce and former President Evo Morales, both members of the long-dominant Movement Toward Socialism, or MAS, party. The two had been allies, and Arce was Morales’ handpicked successor after the former president was ousted in the political crisis that followed the country’s controversial 2019 election. Now, though, Arce and Morales are battling each other for control of MAS in order to claim the party’s nomination in next year’s presidential vote.