Bolivia avoided a coup attempt last Wednesday that would have overthrown President Luis Arce, who has faced a political crisis within his ruling left-wing party and a looming financial crisis.
The Bolivian Army’s chief general, Juan Jose Zuniga, failed to take control of the government even as his troops took control of several government buildings in the capital La Paz. Arce confronted Zuniga, ordering him to stand down, while also calling for street demonstrations to stand against the coup attempt. Zuniga’s troops began to stand down, and Zuniga was taken into custody.
Zuniga accused Arce of ordering him to plot a fake coup to boost his popularity, a charge Arce denies. Bolivia’s geostrategic importance has been heightened recently because of its massive lithium deposits, a key resource in the electric energy transition because of its role in high-capacity batteries.
