Bolivian Army forces surrounded government buildings in the country’s capital of La Paz on Wednesday, according to multiple outlets, breaching Bolivia’s presidential palace with the help of an armored vehicle and receiving condemnation from President Luis Arce, who is resisting what he called an attempted coup.
Soldiers stand guard outside the presidential palace in Plaza Murillo in La Paz, Bolivia. (AP ... [+]
General Juan José Zúñiga, who has not said he is spearheading a coup, told journalists before entering the presidential palace that the army sought to restore democracy and free political prisoners, according to the Associated Press.
Arce confronted Zuñiga in the palace, ordering the general to withdraw his soldiers, the Associated Press reported, and Zuñiga said he still recognizes Arce as Bolivia’s commander-in-chief “for now.”
Former President Evo Morales tweeted Wednesday that a coup was brewing, following up the post with a call to prosecute Zuñiga and “his accomplices.”
Political tensions have come to a boiling point in Bolivia as Morales plans a run against Arce for president, which has sparked division in the country’s dominant socialist party, Reuters reported, adding that Bolivia is also facing a financial crisis fueled by dwindling gas exports and depleted central bank reserves.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.