"I want democracy to prevail in Latin America": Lula asks his foreign ministry to investigate events in Bolivia

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that after participating in a government act, he will ask the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to investigate what is happening in Bolivia.

"I asked Minister Mauro to call Bolivia, to call the president, to call the Brazilian ambassador so that we are sure and we can have a position. As I am a lover of democracy, I want democracy to prevail in Latin America; coups have never worked."

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General Juan José Zuñiga, who is accused of attempting a coup d'état in Bolivia, met with President Arce, according to local media, and published this photo (the general stands with his back to the crowd, facing Arce).

Zuñiga and the military are said to have already left the government building after the conversation with Arce. Interior Minister Carlos Eduardo del Castillo and officials barricaded the door.

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❗️ Bolivian President Luis Arce addressed the nation, calling the event happening in La Paz an attempted coup d'état.

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❗️ Bolivian President Luis Arce addresses the nation amid an alleged attempted coup d'état:

"The Bolivian people are summoned today. We need them to mobilize against the coup d'état, in favor of democracy. We cannot allow, once again, for coup attempts to take Bolivian lives," said the president in a message to the population after the military broke into the Government Palace of the country.

"We want to urge everyone to defend democracy and to stand firm in the Casa Grande, with the entire cabinet, with our social organizations. We salute the social organizations and cordially invite them to once again show the Bolivian people the way to democracy. Long live the Bolivian people! Long live democracy!" he said.

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❗️ Bolivian President Luis Arce has appointed José Wilson Sánchez to serve as a new general commander of the Bolivian Army amid an attempted coup d'état.

The new commander in chief of the Bolivian Armed Forces ordered all deployed units to return to their workplaces.

Additionally, in a brief message, he asked to avoid bloodshed in the country and assured that he will respect the Constitution.

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Former Bolivian President Añez, who was demanded to be released from prison by General Juan José Zuñiga, condemned the attempted coup d'état.

Eralier, General Zuñiga, who is leading a coup attempt in Bolivia, demanded that democracy be returned to the country and that political prisoners, including former President Jeanine Anez, be released, according to his statement to journalists.

"We would like to return democracy ... The demand of the military is the release of political prisoners - [former Santa Cruz Governor Luis] Camacho, [ex-President Jeanine] Anez," Zuniga told journalists on Wednesday.

Argentine broadcaster TN aired the general's statement.

Camacho and Anez are in pre-trial detention in a coup d'etat case.

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❗️ The military is leaving Murillo Square in the Bolivian city of La Paz, which it had earlier seized as part of an attempted coup d'état, Bolivia TV reported.

"The military is leaving Murillo Square," the TV channel reported.

The footage shows an armored personnel carrier surrounded by military personnel and cameras leaving the square.

Earlier on Wednesday, local media reported about the accumulation of the military in Murillo Square, where government buildings are located. Bolivian President Luis Arce called for respect to democracy and described what was happening as an attempted coup d'état. It was led by General Juan José Zuñiga, who local media reported had previously been removed as army chief. Arce has since appointed new military leadership.

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🇷🇺 Threats against Russia should be taken seriously and adequate responses need to be planned in advance, alongside with the strengthening of the armed forces and the navy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"We all understand the increasing degree of geopolitical tension in the modern world, we hear regular threats against Russia from the elites of a number of countries and even see concrete actions to implement these threats. Naturally, we must take this as seriously as possible, calculate all the possible risks and plan adequate responses, strengthen our armed forces and navy," Putin said at a meeting on shipbuilding.

The Russian navy needs to be protected from long-range missile attacks, the president said, adding that Russia needs to develop a remote threat detection systems, including a one using drones.

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