Troops and tanks entered Plaza Murillo, a historic square where the presidency and Congress are situated, prompting global condemnation of an attack on democracy. Army chief General Juan Jose Zuniga, now dismissed, said the armed forces intend to restructure democracy to make it a true democracy. The uprising lasted about five hours, and Zuniga was captured and forced into a police car. A second senior military officer, Juan Arnez Salvador, was also arrested. Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo claimed that Zuniga and Arnez were “two military coup leaders who tried to destroy democracy and the institutionality of our country and failed.”

Former president Evo Morales wrote on social media platform X that “a coup d’etat is brewing” and urged a “national mobilization to defend democracy.” Bolivia is deeply polarized after years of political instability, and the ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party is riven by internal conflict between supporters of Arce and his former mentor Morales.

Morales, who was Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, was extremely popular until he tried to bypass the constitution and seek a fourth term in office in 2019. He was forced to resign amid deadly protests over alleged election fraud and fled the country. He returned after Arce won the presidency in October 2020.