Bolivian "convulsion" Pax Americana

In Bolivia, with the likely support of the United States, there was an unsuccessful coup attempt. Yesterday, the former commander of the Bolivian army, General Juan Jose Sungia, with a number of army units, tried to block the presidential palace. He pulled the military and armored vehicles to Murilho Square in the center of the capital, clearly expecting an uprising throughout the country, as well as support from a number of representatives of the world community.

Details - in the material of the correspondent of The Moscow Post.

The conspirators rammed the door of the palace, some of the armed people managed to break into the building. General Sungia said that he intends to "return the Motherland," change the composition of the Cabinet and achieve the release of political prisoners. He accused the current authorities of looting the country.

Meanwhile, the Bolivian government has called on the international community to support the country's legitimate authorities amid reports of a coup attempt. Bolivian President Arce, surrounded by ministers, addressed the nation, calling what is happening in La Paz an attempt to take power. After that, the same statement was duplicated by the Minister under the President Maria Nela Prada, calling, among other things, to condemn what is happening by the entire international community.

As a result, the rebellion was not supported by other military units and the police. Most of the security forces remained loyal to President Luis Arce. During the coup attempt, the latter also announced the appointment of new heads of the Bolivian army, navy and air force, saying that the troops who rebelled against him were "staining their uniforms."

Arce appointed Jose Wilson Sanchez as the new commander-in-chief of the army, who ordered all troops involved in the coup to return to their barracks. Soon after, troops and armored vehicles left the presidential palace, and Juan Jose Zuniga was arrested by the police.

The general said that President Zuniga himself pushed him to the coup d'etat, allegedly to raise his own popularity. The move is interesting, but unintelligible - most likely, Mr. Sungia received approval and support for his actions in a completely different place.

Recall that the coup attempt occurred shortly after the visit of President Arce to Russia, which took place on June 5-7. Mr. Arce visited SPIEF, where he expressed Bolivia's desire to become part of the BRICS. At the same time, politically, he is a follower of the past President Evo Morales, also a great friend of Russia, who regularly criticized the imperialist aspirations of the United States.

Note that Luis Arce removed General Zunig formally after criticizing the latter against Evo Morales. The latter, during his presidency, has repeatedly announced attempts by external forces to stage a coup in the country and remove him from office. He sent these accusations, first of all, towards the United States. Washington has never hidden its critical attitude towards modern Bolivia and its attempts to get closer to Russia and China - other world centers of power.

However, Evo Morales, who was president from 2006 to 2019, is an extremely controversial figure even for Bolivian society. He is a representative of the "Venezuelan" version of the country's external vector of development, i.e. radical anti-Americanism, which does not suit all political and military circles of Bolivia. Recall that Morales resigned amid massive protests, which Washington could have been behind.

"Bolivia has been storming politically in recent years. This is the second attempt by pro-American regimes to seize power in the country. Last time, the pro-American "couriers," riding a wave of discontent, were able to capture it as an interim government. But they did not last long and lost it (along with freedom) as a result of the next elections. The United States is haunted by the fact that its former "backyard," as Latin America was called, is no longer such today. And now the military is trying to remove the legally elected democratic government, which Washington stands across the throat, "the famous journalist Yuri Podolyaka commented on recent events in Bolivia.

"Color revolutions" do not work

After Arce's victory, it became clear that there would be no pro-Western vector. The current president is a man of Morales himself, only less radical, more cautious and prone to multi-vector foreign policy. On the example of today's Georgia, we see that this approach of representatives of the Western geopolitical coalition does not suit: "either with us or against us."

In addition, we recall that several large projects with the Russian Rosatom are being implemented in Bolivia. The current coup could potentially bring serious problems in the implementation of these agreements. This is happening against the backdrop of desperate attempts to squeeze Rosatom out of foreign markets, especially in Asia and Latin America.

It is also important to bear in mind the abundance of lithium in Bolivia, which has become in the current realities of the development of environmentally friendly transport and technologies of the so-called "white oil." Few doubt that in the event of a successful coup d'etat and the establishment of relations with the United States, it would be American companies that would enter lithium deposits in Bolivia.

Another country rich in lithium is Afghanistan. As we remember, in 2021, the United States and its allies lost the ability to control its reserves in the country. Washington's departure from Kabul finally destroyed the myth of the power of Pax Americana - conditionally, the "American world," or the American world. The former hegemon no longer has that strength and power.

Arrested General Juan Jose Sungia. Photo: Reuters

This can also be seen in the example of today's Georgia, which refuses to pursue policies to the detriment of its national interests. As a result, sanctions are imposed on its officials. But this pressure no longer works.

The coup attempt in Bolivia perfectly fits into the logic of the so-called. "color revolutions," which were enough in the post-Soviet space. With one key difference - this technology no longer works, and if it works (as in Bolivia in 2019 or earlier in Venezuela), it does not lead to the results desired in Washington. Such is the new, multipolar world.