Bolivia's army chief arrested after apparent failed coup attempt to overthrow president

An astonishing confrontation between Bolivia's president and its now former army chief appeared to be a decisive factor in facing down the rebellion, as ITV News Reporter Graham Stothard explains

Bolivian authorities have arrested the commanding officer of its army after an apparent failed coup attempt to topple the country's government.

On Wednesday, military forces looked to have taken control of Bolivia President Luis Arce's administration, after surrounding the presidential palace in La Paz.

But President Arce stood firm against the rebels, naming a new commander of Bolivia's army, who immediately ordered the coup to be halted.

Within hours, soldiers, along with a line of military vehicles, pulled back, ending the rebellion.

Soldiers swarm Bolivia's capital as president condemns apparent coup attempt
Soldiers block the street in front of Bolivia's presidential palace. Credit: AP

The retreat was followed by the arrest of Army Chief General Juan José Zúñiga, after Bolivia's attorney general opened an investigation.

Former Navy Vice Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador was also taken into custody, according to Bolivian government minister Eduardo del Castillo.

The development comes after months of growing tensions between President Arce and his one-time ally, former president Evo Morales, over control of the country's ruling party, and amidst the backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis.

Mr del Castillo told journalists that the goal of the coup was to "overturn the democratically elected authority".

But General Zúñiga, while the rebellion was ongoing, insisted that the military was tired of government infighting and was seeking "to restore democracy".

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Bolivian Justice Minister Iván Lima said authorities will seek the maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison for General Zúñiga for having "attacked democracy and the Constitution".

The apparent coup began on Wednesday afternoon as the streets of La Paz filled with soldiers.

President Arce tweeted that the deployment of troops was irregular, with political figures soon warning of a potential coup.

As the crisis unfolded, President Arce confronted General Zúñiga in the palace hallway, as shown on Bolivian television, saying: "I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination."

President Arce soon named new heads of Bolivia's armed forces, and thanked the country's police and regional allies for standing by him.

Bolivia President Luis Arce raises a clenched fist after defeating an apparent coup. Credit: AP

He said the troops who rose against him were "staining the uniform" of the military.

José Wilson Sánchez, the newly named army chief, then ordered that all troops who are "mobilised to return to their units", adding: "No one wants the images we're seeing in the streets ."

The order was swiftly followed by the withdrawal of military forces around the palace.

Hundreds of supporters of President Arce rushed to celebrate the news, waving Bolivian flags and singing the national anthem.

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