Government office occupied, Leader removed.
Photos taken outside Bolivia’s presidential palace in La Paz on Wednesday, June 26, show military police outside the main entrance as an armored vehicle rams into the door of the palace. Soldiers were also seen firing tear gas outside the Legislative Assembly as President Luis Arce warned of an “irregular” deployment of troops in the capital.
Bolivian television also showed Arce confronting the Juan José Zúñiga, the general commander of the army in a hallway in the palace.
“I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination,” Arce said.
Zúñiga told journalists before entering the palace: “Surely soon there will be a new Cabinet of ministers; our country, our state cannot go on like this.”
He added that “for now” he recognizes President Arce as commander in chief, the AP reports.
Protests in Bolivia have intensified in the last few months as the Bolivian economy worsens and Arce and his former ally, former President Evo Morales have been fighting for the future of the country’s Movement for Socialism (MAS) ahead of 2025 elections.
Peoplesmind
