La Paz: Two Bolivian army leaders were arrested Wednesday after soldiers and tanks took up position in front of government buildings in what President Luis Arce called an attempted coup.
The troops and tanks entered Plaza Murillo, a historic square where the presidency and Congress are situated, in the afternoon, prompting global condemnation of an attack on democracy.
One of the tanks tried to break down a metal door of the presidential palace.
Surrounded by soldiers and eight tanks, the now-dismissed army chief General Juan Jose Zuniga said the “armed forces intend to restructure democracy, to make it a true democracy and not one run by the same few people for 30, 40 years.”
AFP reporters saw soldiers and tanks pulling back from the square shortly after. The uprising lasted about five hours.
Zuniga was captured and forced into a police car as he addressed reporters outside a military barracks later on Wednesday, footage on state television showed.
“General, you are under arrest,” Deputy Interior Minister Jhonny Aguilera told Zuniga.
A second senior military officer Juan Arnez Salvador, who was head of the Bolivian navy, was also arrested Wednesday night.
Salvador’s arrest was announced by Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo, who said that Zuniga and Arnez are “two military coup leaders who tried to destroy democracy and the institutionality of our country and failed.”
Speaking from a balcony of the government palace, Arce told hundreds of supporters that “No one can take away the democracy we have won.”
He had urged “the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup d’etat in favor of democracy,” in an earlier televised message to the country alongside his ministers inside the presidential palace.
He fired Zuniga and Salvador and swore in a new set of military leaders.
Before he was arrested, Zuniga told reporters that the president had told him to stage an uprising, in order to trigger a crackdown that would make him look strong and boost his sagging approval rating.
At a meeting Sunday, the general said, Zuniga asked Arce “so we bring out armored vehicles?” He said the president answered, “bring them out.”
Arce’s instructions were to “stage something to raise his popularity,” Zuniga said.
Former president Evo Morales wrote on social media platform X that “a coup d’etat is brewing” and urged a “national mobilization to defend democracy.”
Bolivia is deeply polarized after years of political instability and the ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party is riven by internal conflict between supporters of Arce and his former mentor Morales.
Morales, who was Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, was extremely popular until he tried to bypass the constitution and seek a fourth term in office in 2019.
The leftist and former coca union leader won that vote but was forced to resign amid deadly protests over alleged election fraud, and fled the country.
He returned after Arce won the presidency in October 2020.
Since then a power struggle has grown between the two men, and Morales has increasingly criticized the government and accused it of corruption, tolerating drug trafficking, and sidelining him politically.
Six months ago, the Constitutional Court disqualified Morales from the 2025 elections, however he is still seeking nomination as the MAS candidate.
Arce has not said whether he will seek re-election.
Zuniga appeared on television on Monday and said he would arrest Morales if he insisted on running for office again in 2025.
“Legally he is disqualified, that man cannot be president of this country again,” he said.
Since that interview, rumors have swirled that Zuniga was on the verge of being dismissed.
The US administration of Joe Biden said it was keeping a close eye on events in Bolivia and “calls for calm,” according to a spokesperson for the National Security Council.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply concerned” by events in Bolivia and called on all actors, including the military, to “protect the constitutional order and to preserve a climate of peace,” his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
Condemnations of the troop movements also poured in from across Latin America, with leaders of Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela calling for democracy to be respected.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote on X: “I am a lover of democracy and I want it to prevail throughout Latin America. We condemn any form of coup d’etat in Bolivia.”
The Organization of American States (OAS) said the international community would “not tolerate any form of breach of the legitimate constitutional order in Bolivia.”
Bolivian army leaders arrested after coup attempt
https://arab.news/4z5an
Bolivian army leaders arrested after coup attempt
- Bolivia is deeply polarized after years of political instability
Regime threatening destruction deserves destruction: Israel FM to Iran
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said this week they prefer a diplomatic path to resolving the situation
JERUSALEM: Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday that Iran’s message of an “obliterating war” made it worthy of destruction.
“A regime that threatens destruction deserves to be destroyed,” Katz said in a post on X. He also said Israel will act with full force against Iran-backed Hezbollah if it does not stop firing at Israel from Lebanon and move away from the border.
Iran’s UN mission said on Friday that if Israel embarks on a “full-scale military aggression” in Lebanon, “an obliterating war will ensue.”
The Iranian mission also said in the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that in such an event “all options, incl. the full involvement of all resistance fronts, are on the table.”
Hezbollah has been exchanging fire with Israel since October, in parallel with the Gaza war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said this week they prefer a diplomatic path to resolving the situation.
Though Katz is a member of Israel’s security cabinet, war policy has largely been led by Netanyahu and a small circle of ministers that includes Gallant, who visited Washington this week for talks on Gaza and Lebanon.
Germany weather storm to reach Euro 2024 quarter-finals
- Musiala, of Bayern Munich, then ran away to stroke in the second goal midway through the second half as Germany’s class told
DORTMUND, Germany: A Kai Havertz penalty and a Jamal Musiala strike gave Germany a 2-0 win over Denmark as the host nation reached the Euro 2024 quarter-finals after a dramatic game that was delayed by almost half an hour in the first half due to a violent storm.
Havertz stroked home from the spot early in the second half in Dortmund following a handball by Joachim Andersen, the unlucky Danish defender who had a goal disallowed at the other end only moments earlier.
Musiala, of Bayern Munich, then ran away to stroke in the second goal midway through the second half as Germany’s class told.
At one point it looked as if the game could be abandoned as English referee Michael Oliver stopped play in the 35th minute of the first half and took the teams off the pitch while a violent storm passed overhead.
Torrential rain, hailstones, high winds, thunder and lightning caused a break in play of 25 minutes before the action could resume.
It made for a memorable night, and one that ended with the host nation coming through a stern test of their credentials to keep alive their dream of winning the trophy in Berlin on July 14.
The path is set to get much tougher from here, however, and Julian Nagelsmann’s team will now go to Stuttgart for a quarter-final next Friday against either much-fancied Spain or surprise package Georgia.
Meanwhile Denmark, who famously beat Germany in the 1992 European Championship final, go home without winning a game — they had qualified from their group with three draws.
Nagelsmann made three changes to the Germany side following their last outing, a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
Nico Schlotterbeck replaced the suspended Jonathan Tah in central defense, David Raum came in at left-back, and Leroy Sane was preferred to Florian Wirtz on the right wing.
Schlotterbeck, of Borussia Dortmund, thought he had given Germany the lead inside four minutes when he headed in a corner in front of the enormous South Stand.
He ran off in celebration, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Joshua Kimmich.
It threatened to become a frustrating night for the home team as they were then thwarted on several occasions by Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
He tipped over a rasping drive by Kimmich and turned a Havertz volley around the post as the Danes weathered the early storm.
Another one was coming, and when the action eventually restarted with the pitch now sodden, Germany quickly cranked up the pressure again.
A Raum cross from the left was met by the head of Havertz, but Schmeichel — whose father played in that 1992 final — was once again on hand to make a good save.
The Danes did pose a threat on the break as they attacked toward their own supporters, but Rasmus Hojlund hit the side-netting after catching Schlotterbeck in possession, and then saw Manuel Neuer come out and save at his feet.
The game was interrupted again for the half-time break, before Denmark — and Andersen in particular — were left to rue two VAR interventions at the beginning of the second half.
First, on 48 minutes, Andersen thought he had scored when he fired in as the ball broke to him in the box, but the VAR team told the referee to rule out the goal because of an offside against Thomas Delaney, who had provided the assist.
As soon as play resumed, Germany attacked and a Raum cross deflected off the outstretched hand of Andersen in the area.
The Crystal Palace player’s offense was penalized following another check, and Havertz scored his second penalty of the competition.
Havertz and Sane missed great chances to make it 2-0 before Musiala latched onto a simple ball over the top and ran through to net his third goal of the Euros to become the joint-top scorer alongside Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze.
Wirtz, on from the bench, had a late goal that would have made it 3-0 disallowed for offside, but Germany have momentum and will take some stopping now.
Sudan’s RSF says it has taken capital of southeastern state
- Capture of key city follows days of fighting, with forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan using aircraft
- Sennar state, which links central Sudan to the army-controlled southeast, is already home to more than a million displaced people
PORT SUDAN, Sudan: Paramilitary forces battling Sudan’s regular army for more than a year said Saturday they had taken a key state capital in the southeast, prompting thousands to flee, witnesses said.
“We have liberated the 17th Infantry Division from Singa,” the capital of Sennar state, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on X.
Residents confirmed to AFP: “The RSF have deployed in the streets of Singa,” and witnesses reported aircraft from the regular army flying overhead and anti-aircraft fire.
Earlier Saturday, other witnesses said there was fighting in the streets and “rising panic among residents seeking to flee.”
Sudan has been gripped by war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the RSF led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The conflict in the country of 48 million has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The latest RSF breakthrough means the paramilitaries are tightening the noose around Port Sudan on the Red Sea, where the army, government and UN agencies are now based.
The RSF controls most of the capital Khartoum, Al-Jazira state in the center of the country, the vast western region of Darfur and much of Kordofan to the south.
Sennar state is already home to more than one million displaced Sudanese. It connects central Sudan to the army-controlled southeast.
Posts on social media showed thousands of people fleeing in vehicles and on foot, and witnesses told AFP “thousands of people have taken refuge on the east bank of the Blue Nile” river east of Singa.
RSF forces are also besieging the town of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.
On Thursday, a report cited by the United Nations said nearly 26 million people in war-torn Sudan are facing high levels of “acute food insecurity.”
The reasons behind the thawing of ties between Ankara and Damascus
- Gaza war creates new regional dynamics for Assad regime, necessitates closer relations with Turkiye, says expert
- Erdogan signals possible policy shift as Turkiye considers rapprochement with Syria
ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled a possible restoration of relations with Syria’s Assad regime in a surprising move that marks a significant departure from years of hostility between the two nations.
Erdogan’s comments, which were made after Friday prayers, suggest a willingness to revive diplomatic ties with Damascus, emphasizing historical precedent and family ties as potential foundations for future engagement.
“There is no reason why it should not happen,” Erdogan said.
“Just as we kept our relations very lively in the past, we even had talks between our families with Assad. It is certainly not possible to say that this will not happen in the future. It can happen; the Syrian people are our brothers.”
The Turkish leader’s comments echo similar sentiments recently expressed by Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has indicated his willingness to pursue steps toward normalization, provided they respect Syria’s sovereignty and contribute to counter-terrorism efforts.
The remarks came during a meeting with Alexander Lavrentiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy to Syria.
The concurrent statements are seen as part of a broader effort to reconcile Ankara and Damascus, but the path to rapprochement remains fraught with uncertainty and complexity.
Erdogan, then prime minister of Turkiye, hosted Assad in 2009 for a family holiday in the Aegean resort of Bodrum, and they enjoyed amicable visits to nurture their friendship.
But since severing all ties with the Assad regime in 2011, Turkiye has been a vocal supporter of his opponents in Syria and called for the ousting of Assad from power.
Ankara’s involvement has escalated with several cross-border military operations and the establishment of a safe zone in northern Syria, in which Turkish troops are stationed.
The Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers met in Moscow last year, marking the highest-level contact between the two countries since the start of the Syrian Civil War.
But the talks, along with an earlier meeting between the two countries’ defense ministers, did not bring about any change in bilateral relations.
Oytun Orhan, coordinator of Levant studies at the Ankara-based think tank ORSAM, says there is a glimmer of hope for a resumption of the dialogue process.
He told Arab News: “There have been some developments in recent weeks. It is said that Turkish and Syrian officials could meet in Baghdad with the mediation of Iraq, and surprising developments in Turkish-Syrian relations are expected in the coming period.”
Efforts were being made to bring the parties together, he added.
Orhan believes that with Russia’s softening position in Ukraine, the Kremlin has begun to pay more attention to Turkish-Syrian relations, and the Gaza conflict also requires new regional dynamics and presents new security challenges for the Assad regime, which necessitates closer Turkish-Syrian relations.
He said: “Discussions about a possible US withdrawal after the upcoming presidential elections are another factor to consider.”
The Assad regime has recently been in talks with the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units and “is trying to corner Turkiye by signaling that it could reach an agreement with the YPG if Turkiye does not accept its conditions, while at the same time opening channels with Turkiye,” he added.
Ankara considers the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, a terrorist group closely linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has been waging a decades-long insurgency in southeast Turkiye.
Experts say that both parties are trying to consolidate their positions in line with regional changes and consider their red lines for domestic security concerns.
But Orhan does not expect Turkish troops to withdraw in the short term, and added: “First, there may be an agreement between the parties on how to deal with the YPG.
“At that point Turkiye may have to take some steps regarding its relationship with the opposition. However, there will not be a situation where the Syrian opposition is completely abandoned or its support is cut off. A gradual road map can be agreed.”
Orhan expects that a mechanism of guarantees involving Russia or even Iran could be agreed upon for a road map for withdrawal from Syria.
He said: “Gradual steps will be taken based on criteria such as the complete elimination of the PKK/YPG threat and the creation of conditions for the safe return of Syrian refugees to their country.
“A common will against the PKK is not very likely at this stage because the Syrian regime still wants to use the YPG as a trump card against Turkiye. It believes that after a possible US withdrawal, it can reach an agreement with the YPG and solve this problem with minor concessions.”
Experts believe a partnership between Ankara and Damascus, like the one between Iraq and Turkiye, is unlikely at the moment.
But Orhan believes common ground can be found in the fight against the PKK, depending on the gradual steps taken by Turkiye.
He said: “Instead of a joint military operation, Turkiye’s continued military moves against the YPG, followed by an agreement on areas that Syrian regime forces can retake and control, can be agreed upon.”
Turkiye currently hosts 3.1 million Syrian refugees, according to official figures. One of Ankara’s expectations from a possible rapprochement between Turkiye and Syria would be the safe return of these refugees to their homeland.
Orhan said: “The return of Syrian refugees can only be possible after a lasting solution in Syria.
“It is a long-term, difficult problem to solve. From the Assad regime’s point of view, it sees this as a bargaining chip and a burden on Turkiye’s shoulders.”
He added that the return of Syrian refugees was also seen as providing a risk factor for the Assad regime.
The refugees are seen as “people who fled the country, and it is questionable how willing Assad is to repatriate them,” said Orhan.
Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat and current chairman of the Istanbul-based think tank EDAM, has spoken of the profound shifts in regional security dynamics in the wake of the war in Gaza and amid uncertainties surrounding US policy in the Middle East, particularly in Syria.
He told Arab News: “For Syria, which now faces an even more unpredictable security environment, this forces the Syrian leadership to reassess its position for negotiations with Turkiye in response to the evolving geopolitical realities.”
Ulgen believes that from Turkiye’s point of view, this represents a potentially favorable opportunity, provided that Syria is willing to reconsider the terms of engagement that have so far prevented meaningful dialogue.
He added: “Until now, these conditions have been a major obstacle to starting a substantive negotiation process.”
Ulgen said that Syria’s willingness to revise these conditions will be crucial in determining whether formal negotiations can begin.
He added: “The critical question now is whether Damascus will stick to its preconditions, some of which may prove untenable, such as the demand for an immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops from border areas.”
Progress in reconciliation efforts would depend on the lifting of such conditions, Ulgen said.
India erupts with joy as Rohit-led team clinch T20 World Cup crown
- India won a thrilling final by seven runs in Barbados to clinch their first major title since the 2013 Champions Trophy
- Star batsman Virat Kohli announced his retirement from international T20 matches in his man-of-the-match speech
NEW DELHI: Fans in blue India jerseys shed tears of joy and danced on tabletops at a sports bar in New Delhi on Saturday as Rohit Sharma’s team edged South Africa to win the T20 World Cup and end a global title drought.
India won a thrilling final by seven runs in Barbados to clinch their first major title since the 2013 Champions Trophy.
India last won a World Cup in 2011 at home under M.S. Dhoni, who earlier led the team to a T20 World Cup trophy in the inaugural edition in 2007.
Star batsman Virat Kohli played a knock for the ages in his 59-ball 76 to guide India to 176-7, a total their bowlers defended by restricting the Proteas to 169-8.
“It’s an out-of-the-world feeling,” Abhishek Bhagat, a 34-year-old software professional on a visit to Delhi from Belgium, told AFP outside the sports bar.
“I experienced it as a child in 2007 and then again in 2011 and now again in 2024. It’s been a long, long wait and I can’t tell you how much fun we will have.”
Kohli, 35, announced his retirement from international T20 matches in his man-of-the-match speech, and Bhagat said: “King Kohli is a player who performs when it matters.”
Another fan, Rajneesh Duggal said: “It’s a proud moment for every Indian. It is a fitting finale for outgoing coach Rahul Dravid and for Kohli. Hope Rohit stays on.”
Hundreds of fans took to the streets and drove past the iconic India Gate shouting “Long live, India” slogans from their cars and bikes.
India have faltered in the knockout stages of International Cricket Council (ICC) events, despite being ranked number one in both T20s and one-day internationals (ODIs) and number two in Tests.
Rohit and his team came agonizingly close to winning the one-day ICC World Cup at home last year but lost to Australia in the final at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.
But the team held their nerves in a close final, and pace bowler Hardik Pandya kept calm to defend 16 runs off the last over.
South Africa, who played their first-ever World Cup final, looked set for the target when they needed 30 from the last five overs but Indian bowlers put the choke on.
Emotional scenes followed as fans hugged each other at the sports bar, danced on tabletops and ran out to celebrate on the streets at midnight.
News channels repeatedly showed images Saturday of fans holding Hindu fire rituals to urge the gods to take the team to victory over South Africa.
Some featured pictures bedecked with flower garlands of Rohit, who has hit three half-centuries in the tournament, holding the World Cup trophy.
India knocked out defending champions England in the semifinal in Guyana and remained unbeaten in the tournament.
The World Cup could be the last for the 37-year-old Rohit as the next edition in the shortest international format would be in 2026.
Rohit was part of India’s T20 World Cup triumph in the inaugural edition in 2007, while Kohli won the ODI prize under Dhoni in 2011.
That was India’s previous World Cup triumph, when Dhoni lifted the trophy at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and the country erupted in joy.
Two years later, Dhoni’s team beat hosts England in the 50-over Champions Trophy final but fans had to wait for 11 years for another major title.
India lost in the semifinals of the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup, before last year’s ODI final defeat again left fans heartbroken.
