In a dramatic turn of events, former Army commander Juan José Zúñiga and two other soldiers have been taken into custody and transferred to the maximum security prison in Bolivia to serve preventive detention for their alleged involvement in an attempted coup against the government of President Luis Arce. The Police conducted a strong operation at the Special Force to Fight Crime (Felcc) in La Paz, where Zúñiga and the others were held. They were loaded into Bolivian Police vehicles and taken to the Chonchocoro penitentiary center, about two hours from La Paz.
Zúñiga, along with Juan Arnez and Edison Irahola, was sent to preventive detention for six months on charges of armed uprising and terrorism. The Minister of Government (Interior), Eduardo del Castillo, and other government and police authorities witnessed the transfer at the Felcc. On Wednesday, Zúñiga led a military action in an attempt to “change the government cabinet” and “restore” democracy in Bolivia, but was ordered to withdraw by President Arce.
The transfer of Zúñiga and the others to preventive detention marks a significant development in the investigation into the incident. In addition to the three soldiers, 14 others were arrested for participating in the attempted coup. The government and police are closely monitoring the situation to ensure justice is served in this case.