Global reaction to armed forces mobilizing in Bolivia
FILE PHOTO: Bolivia's President Luis Arce speaks at a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 7, 2024. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov/Pool/File Photo
LA PAZ (Reuters) -Heavily armed soldiers and armored vehicles gathered in Bolivia's capital La Paz on Wednesday, with an armored vehicle seen knocking into the entrance of the presidential palace.
The events stirred fears of a military coup and condemnation from President Luis Arce, international counterparts and top Bolivian political figures.
Here are some reactions to the news:
LUIS ARCE, PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIA
"We denounce irregular mobilizations of some units of the Bolivian Army. Democracy must be respected."
EVO MORALES, FORMER PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIA
"This seems to indicate that they prepared the coup d'etat ahead. I ask people with a democratic vocation to defend the homeland from some military groups that act against democracy and the people."
JEANINE ANEZ, FORMER PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIA
"I totally repudiate the military's mobilization in the Plaza Murillo, attempting to destroy the constitutional order. The Movement to Socialism (MAS) with Arce and Evo should leave via a vote in 2025."
JORGE "TUTO" QUIROGA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIA
"We vehemently repudiate these anti-democratic measures. The insurrectionists must be prosecuted. We will remove the corrupt looters Arce and Evo next year with votes - never with boots."
JOSEP BORRELL, EUROPEAN UNION FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF
"The European Union condemns any attempt to break the constitutional order in Bolivia and overthrow democratically elected governments, and expresses its solidarity with the Bolivian government and people."
LUIS ALMAGRO, CHIEF OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
"The General Secretariat of the OAS most strongly condemns the events in Bolivia. The Army must submit to the legitimately elected civil power."
ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR, PRESIDENT OF MEXICO
"We express the strongest condemnation of the attempted coup d'etat in Bolivia."
PEDRO SANCHEZ, PRIME MINISTER OF SPAIN
"Spain strongly condemns the military movements in Bolivia. We send the Bolivian government and its people our support and solidarity and call on them to respect democracy and the rule of law."
NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA
"We are from Venezuela denouncing a coup d'etat against Bolivian democracy ... we call on the people of Bolivia to defend their democracy, their constitution and their president."
PERU PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE
"Peru strongly condemns the attempted constitutional rupture in the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Peru supports the people and the constitutional government of President Luis Arce."
GABRIEL BORIC, PRESIDENT OF CHILE
"We express our support for democracy in our brother country and to the legitimate government of Luis Arce... We cannot tolerate any breach of the legitimate constitutional order in Bolivia or anywhere else."
MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL, PRESIDENT OF CUBA
"We repudiate the attempted coup d'etat underway and extend all the solidarity of the Cuban Government and people to our brother Luis Arce."
SANTIAGO PENA, PRESIDENT OF PARAGUAY
"Paraguay condemns the irregular mobilization of Bolivia's army that was denounced by President Arce. We make an energetic call to respect democracy and the rule of law."
XIOMARA CASTRO, PRESIDENT OF HONDURAS
"I urgently call on the presidents of the member countries of CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) to condemn the fascism that today attacks democracy in Bolivia and demand full respect for civil power and the constitution. The military forces have once again carried out a criminal coup d'etat."
(Reporting by Latin American bureaus; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)