In Bolivia, military general tried to seize power, president urged to "protect democracy"
President of Bolivia Luis Arce Catacora
Bolivian troops led by a general stormed the presidential palace in the Bolivian capital on Wednesday, June 26. President Luis Arce condemned their actions and called on his supporters to "defend democracy"
According to espreso.tv
President Luis Arce condemned the coup attempt. He called on his supporters to take to the streets to defend democracy.
"We need the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup d'état and in favor of democracy", Arce said in a televised address.
When the crowd gathered, the military had already taken over the main square in the capital, Sucre. They crashed a tank into the palace and then fired tear gas as they tried to push people back. Television showed a broadcast of Army Maj. Gen. Juan Jose Zuniga entering the palace after a tank crashed into the building.
He then quickly left the palace.
The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, responded to the events in Bolivia.
"The European Union condemns any attempt to undermine the constitutional order in Bolivia and to overthrow the democratically elected government and expresses its solidarity with the Bolivian government and people", he wrote on social media X.
- On July 26, 2023, Niger witnessed a military coup that locked the country's President Mohamed Bazoum in a palace. The military said it had overthrown the democratically elected president of Niger, announcing on state television that it had ended the government because of the deteriorating security situation in the African country.
