World News

2307 readers

116 users here now

founded 4 years ago

MODERATORS

muad_dibber@lemmygrad.ml

sovietsnake@lemmygrad.ml

ksynwa@lemmygrad.ml

Bolivia’s Arce faces off with army amid attempted coup (www.aljazeera.com)

submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by landlords_morghulis@lemmygrad.ml to c/worldnews@lemmygrad.ml

11 comments fedilink hide all child comments

“The country is facing an attempted coup d’etat. Here we are, firm in Casa Grande, to confront any coup attempt. We need the Bolivian people to organise,” Arce said in a video, surrounded by ministers in the palace.

The scenes have brought alarm to the Andean nation, where former left-wing President Morales, from the same party as Arce, was removed from office in events many described as a coup in 2019.

“We express the strongest condemnation of the attempted coup d’etat in Bolivia,” Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said.

Edit: The coup attempt apparently failed and the article has been updated

top 11 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] pinguinu@lemmygrad.ml 18 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

The unions declared a general strike!

E: Seems the military retreated, "for now".

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmygrad.ml 14 points 4 months ago

Good that it failed, but why demsocs never learn?

[–] CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.work 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Seems like kayfabe, at least the way it's described in the article.

[–] landlords_morghulis@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Not sure how you would come to that conclusion. Literally has one of the highest number of coups in modern history, and that article doesn't even mention the coup in 2019.

[–] CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.work 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I'm aware of the history of coups in Bolivia. However, I have a hard time taking this seriously:

Dramatic footage on Bolivian television showed Arce facing down Zuniga and a group of soldiers in a palace hallway on Wednesday. “I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination,” Arce said.

We are supposed to believe that President Arcre defeated the coup attempt just by big-dicking General Zuniga on national television. It's certainly possible that Zuniga really is just an incredible buffoon, but that seems very lucky for Arce and very embarrassing for the opposition.

[–] landlords_morghulis@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 4 months ago

I was watching some live footage and it was suggested this was a response to Morales trying to enter government again. I was seeing it as an open threat of a coup from the military that they weren't prepared to carry any further, more than a serious coup attempt. But, maybe I'm less skeptical than I need to be.

[–] Lemmykoopa@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

And the General claimed it was all staged afterwards lol. I believe atm that Acre did Sorkin his way out of it, but it's up there with Fidel representing himself in court and winning levels of implausible yet happened

[–] CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.work 1 points 4 months ago

Stranger things have happened, I suppose!

[–] ksynwa@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You've been vindicated

https://apnews.com/article/bolivia-coup-accusation-arce-morales-b0051f5a98fdd7ec5ba212bbe49d9850

[–] CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.work 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Lol thanks. I mean I guess it's something that Evo sees it my way. I didn't even realize that he and Arce were frenemies. I must have missed that episode!

[–] ksynwa@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 4 months ago

Word is that Morales wants to primary for his party so he can be president next term but Arce does not want that so it was a bad ruse to boost his popularity. Lot of speculation though. Will be watching how it goes from here.