Bolivia Denounces Coup Attempt before International Community

Havana, Jun 26 (ACN) Bolivia denounced on Wednesday before the international community the irregular military deployments of some army units, which staged a coup attempt in La Paz.

In a communique, cited by PL news agency, Bolivian authorities called on the international community and the people to have democracy respected and to back the government led by President Luis Arce, who was constitutionally and legitimately elected by the Bolivian people.

On Wednesday evening, Bolivian army chief General José Zúñiga, said that along three army commanders he intended to take over the presidential palace and replace the government cabinet, while the military poured teargas against the people concentrated around the Plaza Murillo in La Paz.

After pushing the doors of the palace with a armored vehicle, the military coupists took the Palacio Quemado government seat.

President Luis Arce faced the coupist general and ordered him to demobilize the military. Later he order new army troops to custody the palace amidst the cries of hundreds of people who flocked to the place in support of Arce.

Arce appointed division general Jose Wilson new army general commander. Wilson ordered the withdrawal of all the troops to their barracks and called on coupist general Juan Jose Zuniga drop is attitude and to prevent that Bolivian Armed Forces stain with bloodshed again.

According to the PL report, Arce gave a message to the Bolivian people in which he stressed the need to respect the democracy achieved by the vote of the Bolivian people.