LA PAZ, BOLIVIA – Bolivian President Luis Arce has accused a former general of attempting to seize control of the government in a failed coup, while dismissing claims that the nation is facing an economic crisis.
In an exclusive interview, Arce refuted allegations that the recent attack on the government palace was a “self-coup” orchestrated to boost his political standing. “I didn’t escape. I stayed to defend democracy,” Arce asserted.
The president distanced himself from accusations made by the families of the 21 detained individuals, who claim they were misled by ex-General Juan Jose Zúñiga into participating in the coup attempt. “It’s a problem of those who were involved; it’s not the government’s problem,” Arce stated.
Arce also pointed fingers at his former ally turned adversary, ex-President Evo Morales, for political attacks that have hindered legislative progress and complicated efforts to address economic challenges. Despite these political hurdles, Arce maintained that Bolivia’s economy is on an upward trajectory, citing initiatives to diversify production and invest in lithium extraction and industrialization.
Bolivia holds the world’s largest reserves of lithium, a crucial element for the green energy transition, yet these resources remain largely untapped due to previous government policies. Arce emphasized that his administration is taking steps to resolve issues like intermittent gasoline and dollar shortages.
“Bolivia has an economy that’s growing. An economy in crisis doesn’t grow,” he said, dismissing claims of an economic downturn. He also explained that the public’s rush to stockpile food and withdraw cash from ATMs amid the coup attempt was a natural reaction, rooted in the traumatic political upheaval of 2019 that led to Morales’ resignation and resulted in 37 deaths.
Arce revealed that the government is investigating whether the attack was orchestrated by political opposition. On the same day, Eduardo del Castillo, the governmental minister, mentioned that snipers intended for the coup did not arrive in time to Murillo Square, where the coup was staged.