Bolivia’s presidential palace has been stormed by soldiers as the country’s president warned of an unfolding “coup”.
“We are going to recover this homeland,” General Juan José Zúñiga told reporters from Murillo Square after it was taken by troops, according to the El Deber newspaper.
President Luis Arce said a “coup” was underway and demanded Gen Zúñiga stand down the troops which have taken over parts of central La Paz.
The apparent coup attempt was immediately denounced by the leaders of Mexico and Honduras.
Former president Evo Morales called on supporters of democracy to strike and block roads.
He wrote: “A group of the Challapata Special Regiment ‘Mendez Arcos’ took over Plaza Murillo with snipers.
“This seems to indicate that they prepared the coup d’état in advance.
“I ask democratically-minded people to defend the homeland from certain military groups that act against democracy and the people.”
Rumours have been swirling for days that Gen Zúñiga was on the verge of being dismissed. The military chief appeared on television on Monday and said he would arrest Mr Morales if he ran for office again next year.
Bolivian minister Maria Nela Prada published a video on her Facebook account showing the view from a window in a government building.
She said she was witnessing a “coup attempt”.
“I’m in the palace of the people. As you can see this is the Plaza Murillo taken by armed tanks and troops. We understand it is a faction of the military,” she said.
She said military units had taken positions at all four corners of the square and were not letting anyone enter.
“They launched this operation in a totally irregular manner,” she said.
Mr Morales, the first president to come from Bolivia’s indigenous majority, carried out a radical programme after winning power in 2005, aimed at addressing extreme social divisions and inequalities.
The former coca union leader resigned in 2019 after attempting to bypass the constitution and seek a fourth term in power. He was succeeded by opposition senator Jeanine Áñez, who declared herself interim president in November 2019.
Mr Arce won the October 2020 presidential election, returning the Mas socialist party to power.
