Morales accuses Bolivian government of staging the coup
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales accused President Luis Arce's government of staging a coup against itself following the June 26 military coup attempt.
In an interview with "Kawsachun Coca Radio," Morales claimed the coup attempt led by ousted General Jose Zuniga was a sham. Morales, leader of the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party, expressed doubts about the coup, suggesting it might have been orchestrated by the government.
Morales criticized President Arce, accusing him of misleading the public with "crocodile tears" and added, "Initially, until Wednesday night and even Thursday morning, I thought it was a coup, but now I'm confused; it looks like a self-planned coup."
Morales predicted that Zuniga would be released within six months and declared, "I want to tell the world: Lucho (President Arce) lied. He deceived the Bolivian people with a fabricated self-coup."
President Arce, on June 28, strongly denied the self-coup allegations, stating that Zuniga acted independently and not on any official directive.
What Happened?
On June 26, President Arce reported that some military units had moved improperly and called on the military to respect democracy.
Social media footage showed a military armored vehicle attempting to forcibly enter the government palace in La Paz. Tear gas and water cannons were used against civilians protesting the military action.
President Arce confronted former commander Jose Zuniga and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the troops. He also called for public calm, prompting thousands to protest against the coup attempt.
Following orders from the newly appointed commander of the Bolivian army, Jose Wilson Sanchez, the rebellious soldiers returned to their barracks. Former commander Zuniga was detained at the request of the Attorney General's Office.
