Following Wednesday's failed coup in Bolivia against President Luis Arce, a number of social media accounts are accusing the CIA of being involved.
Users on X, formerly Twitter, speculated that the coup attempt was secretly backed by the CIA, either in relation to Bolivia's vast supplies of lithium, in retaliation for its closeness to Russia or for its hostility to Israel. The tweets gained hundreds of thousands of views.
One X user said: "This is the second CIA-backed coup plot against the Bolivian state in under 5 years. Bolivia has 21 million tons of lithium reserves—the largest on the planet. Bolivia also cut off all relations with Israel in condemnation of the genocide in Gaza. Coincidence? I think not."
This is the second CIA-backed coup plot against the Bolivian state in under 5 years.
— sarah (@sahouraxo) June 26, 2024
Bolivia has 21 million tons of lithium reserves—the largest on the planet.
Bolivia also cut off all relations with Israel in condemnation of the genocide in Gaza.
Coincidence? I think not.
A comment—seemingly referring to the U.S.—from Puerto Rican communist "Combate" said: "They own Argentina. They own Chile. They're going after Bolivia."
They own Argentina.
— COMBATE |🇵🇷 (@upholdreality) June 26, 2024
They own Chile.
They're going after Bolivia! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/BoktqT6yQV
A different post highlighted Arce's recent trip to St.Petersburg and talks between Bolivia and Russia on nuclear research
"Let's not pretend we don't know who is responsible for today's coup, this is the work of the U.S. CIA," the post said.
3 weeks ago Bolivia President, Luis Alberto Arce Catacora flew to St Petersburg, Russia to attend the International Economic Forum...
— Pelham (@Resist_05) June 26, 2024
The two countries talked of implementing several projects such as the Nuclear Research and Technology Centre..
Let's not pretend we don't know... pic.twitter.com/lgbbCDV5r0
Wednesday's coup attempt saw tanks and troops deployed in front of the Bolivian government headquarters in La Paz, attempting to break down the door of the presidential palace and depose the democractically elected President Luis Arce. It was thwarted by Arce loyalists and a forceful response from his security team, resulting in coup-leader General Juan José Zúñiga being arrested on live television.
BREAKING:
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) June 27, 2024
🇧🇴 Bolivia coup plotter, CIA-backed General Zúñiga EXHIBITED IN HANDCUFFS
"We are going to make our country's democracy be respected, whatever it takes." pic.twitter.com/uLL4dmmxj0
Zúñiga stated that his intention was to "restructure democracy," and in an interview following his arrest, he accused Acre of having ordered the coup attempt himself so he could defeat the military and boost his own popularity.
While there is no evidence of CIA involvement in Wednesday's failed coup, suspicion of the U.S. in Bolivia—stemming from the CIA's historical support for Latin American military regimes and the State Department's involvement in several coups under Henry Kissinger—has left a lasting legacy on the political life of the South American country, which has seen over 190 coup attempts in its history.
In 2008 leftist president Evo Morales expelled the U.S. ambassador for allegedly "conspiring against democracy," claims that the State Department said were baseless, and in 2017, he accused the U.S. of being a "real threat to world security and peace."
Before Wednesday's failed attempt, the most recent coup in 2019 saw Morales overthrown in favor of right-wing politician Jeanine Áñez, who is now in jail.
Arce, a socialist, succeed Áñez in 2020, campaigning on a platform of democracy and the peaceful transfer of power; his tenure has been characterized by severe economic crises. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts Bolivia's economy to grow by just 2.3 per cent in 2025, its lowest growth in 25 years, excluding during the COVID-19 pandemic.
![Bolivian president during coup attempt](https://cdn.statically.io/img/d.newsweek.com/en/full/2417969/bolivian-president-during-coup-attempt.jpg?w=1200&f=c85f873332bc8ea851328838121696bb)
Despite its current economic situation, the country is of critical geopolitical significance, being home to one of the world's largest supplies of lithium, an essential mineral for the transition to renewable energy.
It is a member of the global non-aligned movement, a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. However, in 2023 it applied for membership of BRICS, an intergovernmental organization including Brazil, Russia, India and China, among others, which has been expanding its geopolitical influence in the global south.
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