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Bolivian General Mobbed, Arrested On Live TV After Failed Coup Attempt

Bolivia general arrested on live television

[Screenshot/Cadena]

Hailey Gomez General Assignment Reporter
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Bolivian general Juan José Zúñiga, who was reportedly behind a failed coup of the government’s palace Wednesday was mobbed and arrested while on live TV, video shows.

Chaos erupted in the South American country after Zúñiga reportedly led the military into the country’s presidential palace. Swarms of soldiers can be seen in the video attempting a takeover. However, despite the attempts, Bolivia’s President Luis Arce swore to stand firm in his position as he appointed a new army commander, according to the Associated Press. (RELATED: Bolivian Military Storms Presidential Palace In Potential Coup Effort)

Video footage posted to Twitter shows the stand-off between Arce and Zúñiga in the palace. The two can be seen standing face to face, each with supporters behind him.

“Withdraw all these forces immediately, it’s an order,” Arce says. “It’s an order. General, you’re not going to obey me?”

Additional supporters of Arce rushed to the president’s palace to defend him, but soldiers reportedly pulled back behind a line of military vehicles, AP News reported. Additional clips from Bolivia’s live television caught Zúñiga being mobbed and arrested while surrounded by what appears to be press.

Before the arrest, Zúñiga claimed Arce asked him to lead the coup, according to AP News.

“The president told me: ‘The situation is very screwed up, very critical. It is necessary to prepare something to raise my popularity’,” Zúñiga reportedly said to reporters, AP News reported.