What We Know About Bolivia's Failed Coup Attempt

A failed attempted coup was reported in Bolivia, following an attack on the Presidential Palace in the country's capital, La Paz. 

The Details: Dozens were arrested following the incident, including Gen. Juan Jose Zúñiga, who led the coup attempt. Zúñiga reportedly stood down after a direct confrontation with President Luis Arce. Initial allegations indicated that Zúñiga intended to "restructure democracy" and liberate the country from a select "elite." 

For Context: Zúñiga's revolt came a day after his removal as commander of the country’s army and followed his overt criticisms of the former president, Evo Morales. His animosity towards Morales stemmed from the latter's desire to run for office again, despite being constitutionally barred. Within the political sphere, these unusual occurrences have sparked debates and speculations on the true intention behind the staged coup. Additionally, the public prosecutor's office has started an investigation into the incident.

How the Media Covered It: While most coverage was generally similar, some articles differed on describing the left-leaning ideologies of Arce and Morales. While Al Jazeera (Lean Left bias) noted Arce’s belonging to “the left-wing Movement for Socialism (MAS) party,” a Reuters (Center bias) feature simply described him as “a mild-mannered and bespectacled former economy minister.” While CNN (Lean Left bias) simply called Morales a “leftist,” Fox News (Right bias) called him a “leftist icon,” tying him to his reputation among U.S. leftists. This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.