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Local sources from Argentina: Página/12, elDiario.es.
UK coverage: Financial Times.

Bolivia is in turmoil as a general, Williams Kaliman, has been arrested after an apparent coup attempt. The country has been facing political unrest, with President Evo Morales resigning amidst allegations of electoral fraud and weeks of protests. The arrest of General Kaliman suggests that the government is taking action to prevent further attempts to overthrow the current administration.

According to an article from Página/12 titled ‘Bolivian Government Quashes Attempted Coup | Tanks and Armed Soldiers Tried to Take Executive Headquarters,’ the incident unfolded when a tank broke down the doors of Bolivia’s Palacio Quemado. The Army’s General Commander, Juan José Zúñiga, led a group of armed soldiers in an attempt to take over the government headquarters. President Luis Arce confronted Zúñiga, and after a few hours of tension, a new leadership in the Armed Forces was appointed, and Zúñiga was arrested. Zúñiga’s violent incursion into the government headquarters aimed to change personnel in the cabinet and free political prisoners, including former interim president Jeanine Áñez and opposition governor Luis Fernando Camacho. The government labeled the incident as an attempted coup.

An article from elDiario.es titled ‘What is happening in Bolivia? From the 2019 coup against Evo Morales to the 2024 coup against Luis Arce’ provides a broader context of the political situation in Bolivia. It highlights the events leading up to the 2019 coup against Morales, which started with an attempt to prevent his re-election and escalated into protests, police mutiny, and a military coup. Jeanine Áñez assumed the presidency, but her administration faced economic challenges and was eventually succeeded by Luis Arce in the 2020 elections. However, a growing dispute between Arce and Morales has caused internal fractures within the ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party.

The recent coup attempt led by General Kaliman further deepens the divide between Arce and Morales. The MAS party is now neglecting governance, and tensions exist within both the ruling party and the opposition. The article suggests that this incident could serve as a way for the government to buy time and potentially call for early elections.

The international community has expressed concern over the situation in Bolivia. The Organization of American States (OAS) stated it will not tolerate any constitutional breaches, while regional leaders have condemned the coup attempt. The White House is closely monitoring the situation, and various Latin American presidents have called for democratic resistance.

As Bolivia grapples with political instability, the arrest of General Kaliman signals the government’s determination to prevent further attempts to overthrow the administration. The country’s future remains uncertain, with tensions within the ruling party and the opposition, as well as economic challenges, adding to the complexity of the situation.