Soldiers surround Bolivian presidential palace in attempted coup

Bolivian armed forces took over the central square in La Paz on Wednesday and an armored vehicle rammed the entrance to the presidential palace as leftist President Luis Arce slammed a "coup" against the government and called for international support.

Arce denounced the mobilisation of some army units in La Paz led by General Juan Jose Zuniga, who was recently stripped of his military command, and demanded the troops demobilise.

"Today the country is facing an attempted coup d'état. Today the country faces once again interests so that democracy in Bolivia is cut short," he said in comments from the presidential palace, with armed soldiers outside.

"The Bolivian people are summoned today. We need the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup d'état in favor of democracy."

The United States said it was closely monitoring the situation and urged calm and restraint.

Tensions have been building in Bolivia ahead of general elections in 2025, with leftist ex-President Evo Morales planning to run against former ally Arce, creating a major rift in the ruling socialist party and wider political uncertainty.

Many do not want a return of Morales, who governed from 2006-2019 when he was ousted amid widespread protests and replaced by an interim conservative government. Arce then won election in 2020.

Zuniga said recently that Morales should not be able to return as president and threatened to block him if he attempted to, which led Arce to remove him from his post.

On Wednesday, heavily armed soldiers and armored vehicles gathered in the central Plaza Murillo square, which is home to the presidential palace and Congress. A Reuters witness saw an armored vehicle ramming into a door of presidential palace and soldiers rushing in.