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The context of the Bolivian coup attempt
Indigenous rights activist MIRIAM AMANCAY COLQUE gives her thoughts on the dramatic events in La Paz earlier this week which saw a thwarted attempt to overthrow President Arce
An armored vehicle and military police form outside the government palace at Plaza Murillo in La Paz, Bolivia, June 26, 2024
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WHAT is behind the attempted coup in Bolivia?
There are conflicting versions. It is said that initially what happened in Bolivia was a self-coup that got out of hand for the government of Luis Arce and it became a coup d’etat led by the former commander of the armed forces, General Juan Jose Zuniga. Police did nothing to prevent this attempted coup.
Some MPs also said that this was a highly planned operation to restore Luis Arce’s popularity which has dropped to only 18 per cent. The purpose: to close parliament and go after Evo Morales, even if they have to kill him.
Zuniga was recently removed from office after making statements of a political nature and threatening Evo Morales, the president of the MAS-IPSP (Movement for Socialism), stating that he would not be allowed to be a candidate in 2025. “We will put Evo in jail if he runs as a candidate,” he said.
Zuniga also had intentions to swear a new team of ministers, shut the parliament and to free the November 2019 coup-plotters who are in jail — Luis Camacho, Jeanine Anez and many others. Prior to being taken into detention, Zuniga claimed to the press that days before, he had a meeting with Luis Arce to plan the self-coup.
Arce has sworn in a new armed forces commander, Jose Sanchez.
Yes, we should defend democracy at all costs but equally the government should correct their mistakes and work for the people with honesty. We hope a thorough investigation is undertaken to give us proper answers.
Is a counter-revolution still a big danger in Bolivia?
The betrayal of Arce’s government of the MAS-IPSP left-wing programme was the first sign of a counter-revolution and, in particular, the masses of Indigenous people who put him in power feel totally disappointed.
Arce has communication and good relations with the empire. On May 25, Arce and Vice-President David Choquehuanca marched alongside Debra Hevia, US ambassador to Bolivia in a commemoration event.
The magistrates were due to end their role on December 31 2023, but the government extended their posts and they now became self-extended magistrates, that, according to the state constitution, is illegal and illegitimate.
There is general unhappiness in the country. It seems that Arce has turned towards a neoliberal stance. The economic situation is untenable, there is lack of gas, petrol, dollars, the price of basic food has increased, as well as the informal trade due to unemployment. Every day there are complaints of widespread corruption, mismanagement, etc.
There are also serious allegations of corruption against Arce’s sons, who in a short time have become rich — one who at only 25 years old was able to purchase huge extensions of land with more than $5 million and also gets preferential treatment for a thousand litres of fuel while ordinary people have to queue for a drum of gas.
And his other son Marcelo, known as “Marcelitio,” is involved in the lithium negotiations with foreign companies with no legal mandate, since the early months of 2020. The industrialisation of lithium has failed.
Arce’s government behaves so vigorously and with so much hate towards Morales because it wants to ruin Evo’s candidacy for 2025 and it sees him as an obstacle.
To the masses of Indigenous people, the persecution of Evo is to persecute Indigenous people who want to recover real democracy.
It is no coincidence that US Southern Command chief General Laura Richardson frequently visits Latin America. For sure their eyes are on Bolivia’s lithium and other resources and we cannot dismiss their involvement in creating a counter-revolution and instability in our country and so we strongly reject imperialist interference.
Miriam Amancay Colque is a longstanding indigenous activist and Bartolina Sisa Resistance spokesperson in Britain. (x.com/BartolinaLives).
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