On Friday, Eduardo del Castillo, the Minister of Government (Interior), announced that authorities in Bolivia had detained four more soldiers involved in the attempted coup against the government of Luis Arce on Wednesday. These soldiers were led by the dismissed commander general of the Army, Juan Jose Zuniga.
Del Castillo made the announcement at a press conference in La Paz, where he revealed that infantry captain Miguel Burgos was responsible for coordinating the seizure of Murillo Square in front of the government headquarters. He also identified Sergeant Allan Condorini as the operator of the tank that rammed the door of the Executive headquarters. Additionally, Air Force general Marcelo Zegarra is in custody pending further investigation.
These latest arrests bring the total number of detainees to 21 in what Del Castillo referred to as a “Failed Coup.” The minister emphasized that these individuals were responsible for destroying Bolivia’s heritage during the coup attempt. He noted that during this time, military communicated through phone apps and FaceTime to avoid social media.
Zuniga, who was dismissed from his position as chief of staff for armed forces, claimed to be working towards changing government cabinet and restoring democracy in Bolivia. He spoke about intentions to free political prisoners such as former interim president Jeanine Anez and opposition governor Luis Fernando Camacho. However, after withdrawing his armed forces he was apprehended by authorities.
Del Castillo described Zuniga as a narcissistic leader who referred to himself as “The People’s General” and a planetary leader.” The minister suggested that Zuniga’s behaviors may need to be evaluated by psychiatrists. As tensions ease following this attempted coup, Del Castillo stated that government continues to investigate and hold those responsible for destabilizing actions accountable.
In conclusion, four more soldiers involved in an attempted coup against Bolivian government have been detained by authorities on Friday. These soldiers were reportedly led by former military chief Juan Jose Zuniga who claimed he was working towards restoring democracy while freeing political prisoners but was later apprehended by authorities after withdrawing his armed forces.
