The Bolivian military has occupied the square in front of the government palace in La Paz with armoured vehicles and tried to breach doors in what appears to be a coup attempt, live images on Bolivian television showed on Wednesday.
"We denounce the irregular mobilizations by some units of the Bolivian Army," Bolivian left-wing President Luis Arce wrote on X as events were unfolding. "Democracy must be respected."
Former Bolivian president Evo Morales also condemned the military's actions on the Murillo square, calling them a "planned coup d'état" in a post on X.
Vice President David Choquehuanca said: "We denounce before the international community a coup d'état against our democratically elected government in Bolivia."
Juan José Zúñiga, the general commander of the army, added: "Enough of the impoverishment of our homeland, enough of the humiliation of the military. We have come to express our displeasure."
Speaking to media representatives, he spoke of "attacks on democracy" without elaborating.
History of political turmoil
Bolivia has seen similar turmoil in the past, most recently when unrest broke out after Morales, who became the country's first indigenous president in 2006, embarked on a controversial fourth bid for the top job.
After the Constitutional Court's 2017 decision to declare term limits invalid, he ran for a fourth term in the presidential poll in October 2019.
The former coca grower leader declared himself the winner of the election and the opposition accused him of fraud.
Unrest broke out and, under pressure from the military, Morales resigned and spent a year in exile in Mexico and Argentina. His supporters spoke of a coup.
Conservative politician Jeanine Áñez became interim president, and a new election in October 2020 was won by Arce from Morales' socialist MAS party.
Áñez was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2022 for dereliction of duty and constitutional violations. Human rights activists expressed concern about the independence of the Bolivian judiciary.
Morales and Arce, his former economy minister, have now fallen out.
Before announcing plans to run for office again, Morales claimed that the government wanted to "eliminate" him, potentially even physically.
In September Morales announced that he would run for office yet again in 2025, but was barred from doing so by the constitutional court in December, overturning the 2017 decision.
World leaders slam apparent coup attempt
South American leaders condemned the military's actions.
Mexico's president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum called the unrest "an attack on democracy," while Chile's left-wing President Gabriel Boric expressed his country's support for "the legitimate government" led by Arce.
In Europe, Spain's left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that the country "strongly condemns the military actions in Bolivia."
He added: "We send our support and solidarity to the government of Bolivia and its people and are calling for respect for democracy and the rule of law."
