Police arrest Bolivia coup leader General Juan José Zúñiga

Bolivia General Zuniga chop arrest afta coup wey im plan, fail
The British Broadcasting Corporation

Bolivia police don arrest di leader of one attempted coup, hours afta some sojas storm di presidential palace for La Paz.

Hundreds of troops and armoured tanks bin take position on Murillo Square wia di main goment buildings dey located.

One armoured tank smash down di entrance to di presidential palace.

Later, sojas withdraw from di South American city.

Di military leader wey bin dey in charge, Gen Juan José Zúñiga, say im wan “restructure democracy” and say even though im bin respect President Luis Arce “for now”, goment go change.

Dem later arrest am some seconds afta im tell tori pipo say di military dey stage intervention as part of di president want.

Gen Zúñiga, wey dem bin first appoint commander of Bolivia Army for 2022, chop sack from im position on Tuesday, afta im tok some kain provoking tins about di kontri former president, Evo Morales, during one interview di day bifor.

See drama for one video wey dem feem inside di presidential palace as di coup dey occur, as President Arce bin dey confront Gen Zúñiga, come order am to stand down and ask am to leave im role.

You fit hear heavy bang for di background, as di two men – dia aides, journalists and armoured police officers surround dem – dey tok face-to-face.

Earlier, di leader condemn di coup attempt, as im call on di kontri pipo make dem “organise and mobilise… in favour of democracy”.

“We no fit allow make coup attempts to di life of Bolivia pipo once again,” im tok for one video recorded message to di kontri from inside di presidential palace.

Wetin im tok enta well well, wit pro-democracy protesters wey enta street to support di goment.

Im also announce say, im dey appoint new military commanders, confirming tori say dem don dismiss Gen Zúñiga afta im openly criticise Morales.

Morales, wey bin also condemn di coup attempt, call make dem bring criminal charges against Gen Zúñiga and im “partners”.

Di public prosecutor office don open criminal investigation, and head of Bolivia Navy, Vice-Adm Juan Arnez Salvador, dn chop arrest.

How Bolivia fail coup attempt take happun… in 75 seconds
The British Broadcasting Corporation

Gen Zúñiga exact motivation for launching di coup still never clear.

On Monday im swear say im go arrest Morales if im run for office again next year, despite say di dem don bar di former president from doing so.

Military chiefs force Morales comot from office for 2019 unto say im dey try manipulate result of one presidential election. Dem send am go Mexico on exile.

Speaking from Murillo Square afta military take am over, Gen Zúñiga accuse one “elite” of taking “over di kontri, vandals wey destroy di kontri.”

But moments before im arrest, di general tell tori pipo say di president give am order to get blindados” (armoured tanks), as im dey try to improve im popularity wey dey die.

Andrea Barrientos – leading opposition senator – tok di same tin, suggesting say di economic and legal crisis for di kontri make Arce launch “coup against imsef”.

Bolivia dey currently experience significant cost of living pressures, as e dey struggle to manage US dollar shortage.

“I go say di giment get many kwesion to answer give di pipo of Bolivia, and dem need to explain dis situation very well,” Barrientos add. “We go say we need deep ivestigation about dis mata.”

Still, e dey clear more more say, wetin happun on Wednesday na one short-lived and ill-judged military uprising instead of big power takeover.

For sure, di goment dey look weaker now, and odas fit wan try overthrow Arce administration – even through politics instead of di military.

As troops occupy La Paz, Morales call im supporters, especially di kontri indigenous coca-growers movement, to enta road and demand end to di attempt coup.

Dis display of popular power fit don help scata Gen Zuñiga’s plans, wey bin also include freeing “political prisoners” including former leader Jeanine Áñez .

Both Arce and im predecessor belong to di same political party, despite internal political fight fight.

Dis rivalry don make some Bolivia pipo, including Gen Zúñiga, to worry say Morales fit wan come for anoda term for office.

Concerns dey come afta im bin try bypass constitution, come for fourth term for 2019.

Morales bin win di vote, but dem force am to resign and im run comot from di kontri afta violent protests.

Di centre-right Jeanine Áñez bin be di kontri interim leader between 2019-20, but im chop 10 years prison sentence sake of wetin lawyers describe as coup to overthrow her predecessor Morales.

Di incumbent president, Arce, come win di re-run vote for 2020.

Arce and Morales bin be each oda supporter bifor, but wetin unite dem na dia condemnation for di use of military to force political change for Bolivia.

Bifor Morales take power for 2005, Bolivia bin be one of di most politically unstable kontri for di Americas.

Im time for power bring di stability wey di kotri bin need, at least until im disgraceful end.

For im part, Arce – wey dem bin elect afta one period of instability following di 2019 election – go don happy by di spead wey di region take respond.

Close kontris like Venezuela and Colombia goment quickly condemn wetin bin dey happun and call for democracy to prevail. Washington also call for calm.

For Paraguay, President Santiago Peña also condemn di attempted coup.

Even di Bolivia pipowey bin oppose im rule no go want to see return to military rule.

But Jhanisse Vaca Daza – human rights activist – say she dey fear say Arce fir use di coup as reason to attack im opponents.

“E go make am legit and give (President) Arce government more power to arrest new members of di opposition wey im see as threat to im goment,” she say.

“di fear for many pipo and di current Legislative Assembly members be say e fit lead to closing of di Legislative Assembly or arresting members wey dem suspect say dem collabo wit military.”

Political analyst Carlos Toranzo tell BBC Mundo say di ” lack of clarity” on weda wetin happun on Wednesday na coup d’etat attempt or “show wey goment imsef organise”.

“E dey strange,” Toranzo say as im recall di different events wey occur up to di military presence for Murillo Square, come add say e get “total peace from di president and im cabinet”.

“For all coup d’etats, dem dey cut off communications to palace,” di analyst explain, but for dis one, di military leave communication channels for di palace, and dem no touch di official broadcasters.

We ask am if e get anytin to gain by faking attempted coup, Toranzo reply: “[President] Arce dey win. Di whole kontri defend democracy.”

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