DISINFO: The putsch in Bolivia was an attempt by the US to carry out a classic Latin American coup according to old patterns
SUMMARY
The putsch that began quickly and just as quickly failed in Bolivia looks like a hasty attempt by the US to carry out a classic Latin American coup according to old patterns.
The entire history of Latin America and the Caribbean is a history of American intervention. What are the reasons for the latest intervention? One, the most obvious, is economic. Last year, Uranium One Group (an organisation of the Rosatom Corporation) signed a framework agreement on the cooperation of lithium mining and production in Bolivia, which is the world leader in reserves of this metal necessary for batteries. Since the US intends to act as the flagship of a “green” economic system, which is impossible without lithium, the presence of Russia and China in Bolivia looks like more than enough reason for a coup attempt.
RESPONSE
This is a conspiracy theory not backed by any evidence. There is no evidence suggesting any US involvement in the 2024 failed coup in Bolivia. Neither lithium fields nor Bolivia’s foreign relations appear to have played any role in it.
The coup attempt was almost certainly the result of the country’s domestic political dynamics. After tensions grew between former President Evo Morales and his political heir and current President Luis Arce, Morales announced his intention to run as a presidential candidate in the next election.
The head of the Bolivian Army, General Juan José Zúñiga, stated publicly that Morales should not be allowed to participate, which led Arce to remove him from his position. The next day, Zúñiga ordered troops to march on Bolivia’s presidential palace, but he acted in isolation as most military units remained in their barracks. The coup was ill-prepared and lacked any domestic or international support, as Bolivia’s prominent opposition figures, as well as foreign leaders, condemned it immediately. The situation was resolved in a matter of a few hours.
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