A nation of 12 million inhabitants watched in shock and perplexity on Wednesday the apparent uprising of military forces against the Government of President Luis Arce, who took control of the capital’s main square with armored vehicles, crashed a tank into one of the gates of the presidential palace to try to break into it and threw tear gas at protesters there.
In the following hours, the Army general who led the coup attempt, Juan José Zúñiga, and an alleged co-conspirator, former Navy Vice Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador, were both detained and remain in custody.
The Bolivian Interior Minister, Eduardo del Castillo, did not provide details about the other 15 people who were detained, only indicating that one of them is a civilian identified as Aníbal Aguilar Gómez, whom he referred to as the “brain” of the frustrated coup.
Del Castillo added that the Government is looking for more suspects and that the alleged conspirators began developing their plan in May.
Supporters of the Bolivian head of state gathered today at the door of the presidential palace in La Paz, repeating pro-democracy slogans.
Riot police were deployed to guard the palace gates, and Arce – who has struggled to cope with the country’s shortage of foreign currency and fuel – condemned Zúñiga.
Read Also: Russia warns against any attempt at interference in Bolivia
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Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2587916/detidas-17-pessoas-ligadas-a-tentativa-de-golpe-de-estado-na-bolivia
