Political uncertainty ahead of the 2025 elections leads to a military coup attempt in Bolivia

The uprising was the culmination of the tensions building in Bolivia
months, with protesters flooding into the capital amid a severe economic crisis
the battle between two political titans vying for control of the ruling party.
Armored vehicles rammed the doors of Bolivia’s government palace on Wednesday
On June 26, President Luis Arce said his country had faced an apparent coup attempt.
The attempt to take over the palace did not seem to receive any significant support.
The uprising was led by the commander-in-chief of the army, Juan José Zúñiga. He claimed
establish a new cabinet of ministers, but emphasized that he recognizes Arce as commander in
chief for now.
Zúñiga did not explicitly say whether he was the leader of the uprising, but in the palace
with booms echoing behind him, he said the military was trying to “restore democracy
and to release our political prisoners.” Zúñiga had been detained on suspicion of the crimes of
terrorism and armed uprising at the entrance to the General Staff Headquarters in La Paz.
Arce ordered his soldiers to withdraw and said he would not allow the insubordination. Later
He then officially dismissed Zúñiga from his post. The new army chief, José Wilson Sánchez
Velázquez, appearing on state television alongside Arce, ordered troops to
had gone out into the street to return to the barracks.
Tensions are rising in Bolivia ahead of the 2025 general elections
The left-wing Morales plans to run against former ally Arce, creating a major rift in the government
socialist party and broader political uncertainty.
Zúñiga said Morales should not return as president and threatened to do so
block him if he tries. This statement caused Arce to remove Zúñiga from it
his position. Zuniga said he would arrest Morales if he insisted on running again

2025. After this, rumors spread that Zuniga was about to be fired.
      However, just before his arrest, Zúñiga told reporters that it was actually the president
      who had instructed him to organize an uprising, which would bring about repression
      he looks strong and boosts his sagging approval rating. But we doubt it’s his
      words were reliable.
      It is likely that Zúñiga attempted a coup because he was politically motivated. The goal was
      to overthrow the democratically elected authority by taking advantage of the economic crisis and the
      Upcoming 2025 elections (he could lose his position after that).
      In addition to Juan José Zúñiga, former Navy Vice Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador was hired
      guardianship. Both men were fired by President Luis Arce and replaced after the uprising
      began.
      Bolivians are increasingly suffering the pain of slow growth and rising inflation
      and scarcity of dollars – a big change from the previous decade, which some called an “an.”
      “economic miracle.
      The country’s economy grew by more than 4% almost every year in the 2010s until the crisis began
      the abyss with the coronavirus pandemic. The problems started earlier, back in 2014
      Commodity prices fell and the government drew on its currency reserves
      maintain expenditure. The country then tapped into its gold reserves and even sold dollar bonds locally.

Arce had been Minister of Finance for almost the entire decade of his strong position
growth, under left-wing icon President Evo Morales. When he assumed the presidency himself
in 2020, he faced bleak economic reckonings due to the pandemic. Reduced gas
The production sealed the end of Bolivia’s fiscal economic model.
With this economic desperation as a backdrop, President Arce and former leader Morales
have clashed in a political battle that has paralyzed the government’s efforts to find a solution
with it. Morales’ allies in Congress, for example, have consistently thwarted Arce’s
tries to take on debt to relieve some of the pressure.
Bolivia has seen more than 190 attempted coups and revolutions since its independence in 1825
in a cycle of conflict between political elites in urban areas and the disenfranchised
mobilized rural sectors.
This is not even the first alleged coup attempt in recent years. In 2019 Morales, then Bolivian
first indigenous president, ran for an unconstitutional third term. He won a controversial vote
plagued by allegations of fraud, sparking mass protests that left 36 dead
prompted Morales to resign and flee the country.

An interim government of the right-wing opposition took power, led by Jeanine Áñez and
Morales’ Movement for Socialism, known by its Spanish acronym MAS, called it a coup.
Morales, who continues to receive significant support from coca farmers and union workers,
was apparently dissatisfied with letting Arce run for re-election uncontested. After returning
from exile, the charismatic populist announced last year his plans to run for office in 2025
presidential race, which set off a fierce battle for control of a splintering MAS. That
The political struggle has paralyzed the government’s efforts to deal with mounting economic desperation
and analysts have warned that social unrest could be explosive. Six months ago, the
The Constitutional Court has barred Morales from the 2025 elections, but he remains so
seeking appointment as a MAS candidate.

“Arce lacks Evo’s charisma, political skills and legacy and support in rural areas. However,
he controls the state apparatus,” said Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America Program
said the Washington-based Wilson Center. “The upcoming elections would serve as one
Pressure valve’.
Despite their differences, both leaders were quick to denounce their positions on Wednesday
called an attempted coup. This also applied to Bolivia’s former interim president, Áñez.
‘There is a long history of military coups in Bolivia, but there is a lot of domestic and global power
brokers line up behind Arce.