LA PAZ: Bolivian President Luis Arce was facing a deep political crisis on Thursday after a botched bid by military chiefs to overthrow his government deepened turmoil in a country mired in severe economic decline.

Tensions have been rising in recent weeks in the Andean nation over surging prices, shortages of dollars and fuel, and a power struggle between Arce and powerful former president Evo Morales ahead of 2025 elections.

Riot police kept close watch over government buildings on Thursday, a day after army chief Juan Jose Zuniga deployed troops and tanks to the heart of the capital La Paz where they tried to break down a door of the presidential palace.

“The armed forces intend to restructure democracy, to make it a true democracy and not one run by the same few people for 30, 40 years,” Zuniga said. Shortly thereafter, the soldiers and tanks pulled back from the historic Plaza Murillo square and local television broadcast images of Zuniga’s arrest. Bolivia’s naval chief Juan Arnez Salvador was also arrested. The two men face up to 20 years in prison for the crimes of terrorism and armed uprising, prosecutors said.

The government later broadcast a conversation between Arce and Zuniga at the doors of the presidential mansion, surrounded by military personnel in which Arce ordered his army chief to withdraw his troops to their barracks. Zuniga replied with a blunt “No”.

“We are going to defend democracy and the will of the Bolivian people, whatever the cost!” the 60-year-old Arce wrote on X, formerly Twitter. He has since sworn in new military leaders.

At least eight civilians were injured by pellets fired by the military, who also fired tear gas at people trying to reach the fenced-off government headquarters, the health ministry said.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2024