IN June this year, the brave people of Bolivia made history by rejecting coup attempts by adventurist generals who tried to overthrow the elected civilian government and derail democracy under the guise of ‘restructuring the democratic setup’. The people in the avenues as well as streets of La Paz, particularly in Murillo Square, showed a rare example of unity and solidarity, standing behind democracy in the South American country. They thwarted the moves made by the generals, who stood humbled, humiliated and stripped of their military honours by the power of the people.

Army chief Juan Jose Zuniga, who led the coup, (seen in the accompanying image), and naval chief Juan Arnez Salvador, the co-conspirator, were handcuffed and taken into custody.

Democracy emerged triumphant and jubilant, defeating the show of lethal tanks, bullets and uniformed terror unleashed across Bolivia.

Earlier, in one such brave move by the masses in 2016, the people in Turkiye had done something similar when the army had tried to remove Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power. The valorous masses put up a fierce resistance against the intervention.

Those who underestimate the power of the people, they end up with humiliation. The collective will of the people has the potential to ensure a stable, prosperous and democratic dispensation in any country.

Qamer Soomro
Shikarpur

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2024