Bolivia authorities transfer general accused of failed coup attempt to maximum security prison

Bolivian authorities transferred Basic Juan José Zuñiga on Saturday to the utmost safety El Abra jail as a part of an ongoing investigation into his alleged management of a failed coup try in opposition to President Luis Arce’s authorities, Director of the Penitentiary System Juan Carlos Limpias informed native media. Limpias stated that prisoners at Chonchorro, the place Zuñiga was initially detained, had focused the final.

On Friday, the Fifth Anti-Corruption Court docket dominated that Zuñiga, together with Juan Arnez, former Navy commander, and Edison Irahola, former commander of the Military’s Mechanized Brigade, could be remanded to jail for six months whereas investigations are ongoing. These three high-ranking officers face severe prices of terrorism and armed riot in opposition to state safety and sovereignty. If convicted, they might resist 20 years in jail. Along with these three, eighteen different energetic and retired navy personnel and civilians have been arrested in reference to the coup try.

The final’s detention and switch have been marked by sudden turns. Initially slated for the high-security Chonchocoro jail in La Paz, Zuñiga was all of a sudden transferred to El Abra jail in Cochabamba. Earlier than his switch, Zuñiga made the stunning declare that he was following President Arce’s orders, alleging it was a “self-coup” designed to extend the president’s reputation. President Arce vehemently denied these accusations, asking, “How might one order or plan a coup in opposition to oneself?”

The coup try unfolded on Wednesday when Zuñiga led a navy operation by which autos breached the presidential palace. The acknowledged intention was to “change the cupboard” and “restore democracy” in Bolivia. The federal government swiftly denounced the troop actions and referred to as for respect for democracy. Subsequently, Zuñiga was arrested for the tried authorities takeover. The Bolivian authorities has since reported uncovering proof of a broader plan behind the coup try. Inside Minister Eduardo Del Castillo revealed the invention of a radiogram ordering the switch of particular forces from Tarija to La Paz by airplane to execute the coup. These forces reportedly included high-ranking navy personnel educated for high-risk operations.

This failed coup try has been broadly condemned each inside Bolivia and internationally. Leaders from neighboring and allied nations have voiced their assist for democracy in Bolivia and condemned the tried overthrow. These embody Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Honduran President Xiomara Castro, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and Chilean President Gabriel Boric.

Moreover, the Group of American States (OAS) permitted a decision by acclamation “strongly condemning” the “unlawful deployment of Military items” in Bolivia as “a risk to the constitutional regime” and “a flagrant insubordination to the orders of Constitutional President Luis Arce.” The OAS additionally expressed solidarity with the Bolivian individuals and authorities.

The incident happens in opposition to a backdrop of rising tensions in Bolivia, fueled by rising costs, greenback and gasoline shortages, and a rising dispute between President Arce and former president Evo Morales forward of the 2025 elections. As investigations proceed, the nation grapples with the aftermath of this failed coup try, highlighting the continuing political instability within the area.