LA PAZ: Nine people were injured in the thwarted military coup in Bolivia, the government reported early on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Bolivian military occupied the square in front of the government palace in La Paz with armoured vehicles and tried to breach doors. The putsch attempt ended with the arrest of alleged coup leader General Juan José Zúñiga.
"The commanders of the armed forces ... not only spread fear and terror, but also used firearms against life, humanity and the integrity of the Bolivian people," Interior Minister Eduardo DelCastillo wrote on X.
It was initially unclear whether civilians were among the injured.
Del Castillo described the arrested ex-chiefs of the army and navy, Zúñiga and Vice-Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador, as "criminals," the ElDeber newspaper reported.
As the alleged main perpetrators of the attempted coup, the two men are accused of armed insurrection against the security and sovereignty of the country.
They are expected to face official charges and a court hearing on Thursday.
Soldiers took over Murillo Square in front of the government palace in the capital on Wednesday and armoured vehicles rammed its doors.
A heated verbal exchange then ensued in the corridors of the building between Zúñiga, who was flanked by heavily armed soldiers, and Bolivia's left-wing President Luis Arce.
In the end, Arce had the coup plotters arrested, appointed new military leaders and ordered the withdrawal of troops from around the government palace.
The circumstances of the attempted coup were being investigated. Initial reports said it may have been triggered by a possible renewed presidential bid by Evo Morales, who became the country's first indigenous president in 2006.
Luis says, "The country today is facing an attempted coup d'état. Today the country faces once again interests so that democracy in Bolivia is cut short... We need the Bolivian people to organise and mobilise against the coup d'état, in favour of democracy. "
Evo, former president, says "This seems to indicate that they prepared the coup d'état ahead. I ask people with a democratic vocation to defend the homeland from some military groups that act against democracy and the people." - dpa
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