![Suspected leaders of failed Bolivian coup remanded in custody](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/f3/5a/23/Suspected-leaders-of-failed-Bolivia-997177.jpg)
-
Wilson, at 16, becomes youngest male USA track Olympian
-
France detains two filmmakers over sex abuse claims
-
Sinner comes through Wimbledon test to set up Berrettini clash
-
George joining 76ers, Thompson heading to Mavs in NBA free agency
-
France coach Deschamps savours reaching Euro 2024 quarter-finals
-
Coach Tedesco curses Belgium's luck after Euros exit to France
-
France star Kounde calls on voters to block far right in elections
-
Taliban told to 'include women' in public life at UN talks
-
NBA Celtics put up for sale two weeks after winning title
-
Gauff breezes into Wimbledon second round as rivals fall
-
NHL Predators land free agents Stamkos, Marchessault, Skjei
-
Games organisers will hope for peaceful reaction to French election: ex-IOC executive
-
Girmay gatecrashes 'father' Cavendish tilt at Tour history
-
France edge tense clash with Belgium to reach Euro 2024 quarter-finals
-
Nigeria weekend suicide bomb attack toll climbs to 32
-
England's Bland beats Japan's Fujita in playoff to win US Senior Open
-
Dan Ashworth joins Man Utd as sporting director
-
Girmay dedicates Tour de France stage win to Africa
-
George joins Embiid with 76ers as NBA free agency heats up: reports
-
Trump advisor Bannon reports to jail to serve sentence
-
Austria glory at Euro 2024 'not impossible', says Rangnick
-
Aboriginal ritual passed down over 12,000 years, cave find shows
-
England midfielder Barkley returns to Aston Villa
-
Osaka wins first match at Wimbledon since 2018
-
MLS St. Louis City dumps South Africa's Carnell as coach
-
Coe makes pre-Olympics visit to Ukraine to give athletes support
-
Powerful Hurricane Beryl slams into Caribbean island of Carriacou
-
Wawrinka, 39, makes flying start at Wimbledon
-
Eritrean Girmay wins Tour de France stage as Carapaz takes race lead
-
Alcaraz wins Wimbledon opener as Murray wants 'closure'
-
Nepal jails 'Buddha boy' for 10 years over child sex abuse
-
Moscow takes two more east Ukrainian villages
-
Supreme Court rules on Trump immunity, delaying trial
-
Rusty Alcaraz sees off qualifier in Wimbledon opener
-
Paqueta 'suffering' over betting allegations says new Hammers boss Lopetegui
-
Under-fire Dutch not hitting panic button, says Koeman
-
Bellingham's celebration gesture to be investigated by UEFA
-
No 'cold sweats' before Spain Euros showdown, says Germany's Raum
-
'Heartbroken' Sabalenka withdraws from Wimbledon
-
Pickford grateful to 'golden boy' Bellingham for sparing England's Euros blushes
-
Austrian Grand Prix - three things we learned
-
Alcaraz starts Wimbledon title defence as Murray wants 'closure'
-
European sprint champion Asher-Smith 'so happy' as she bids for Olympic gold
-
Anderson set to mentor England's quicks after Test exit
-
Hope for Mekong dolphins as Cambodia numbers increase: minister
-
France's far-right vote in figures
-
France detains two filmmakers over sexual abuse allegations
-
Israel strikes Gaza as militants claim rocket barrage
-
Meta risks fines over 'pay for privacy' model breaking EU rules
-
Williams takes spotlight as Spain power through to Euros quarters
![Suspected leaders of failed Bolivian coup remanded in custody](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/f3/5a/23/Suspected-leaders-of-failed-Bolivia-997177.jpg)
Suspected leaders of failed Bolivian coup remanded in custody
Three suspected leaders of a failed coup against Bolivian President Luis Arce Bolivia were remanded in custody on Friday for six months, the country's top prosecutor said.
Former army chief Juan Jose Zuniga, former head of navy Juan Arnez and Alejandro Irahola, former head of the army's mechanized brigade, will be held in a high-security prison not far from the capital La Paz.
"This pre-trial detention ordered by the judge will undoubtedly set a precedent, and is a good signal for the investigation to move forward," said Attorney General Cesar Siles.
The three officers face charges of engaging in an armed uprising and terrorism and face up to 20 years in prison, Siles said on state television.
A total of 21 active, retired and civilian military personnel were arrested in connection with Wednesday's attempted coup, in which troops and tanks were deployed in the heart of the capital, where they tried to break down a door of the presidential palace.
Zuniga said his goal was to "restructure democracy" in Bolivia. He was soon captured and the troops pulled back.
- 'Coup on one's self'? -
In an unusual twist, Zuniga claimed he was following Arce's orders and that the president had hoped for the coup to trigger a crackdown that would boost his popularity.
Arce denied the allegations. "How could one order or plan a coup on one's self?" he told reporters.
Tensions in the Andean nation have been rising in recent weeks over surging prices, shortages of dollars and fuel, and a feud between Arce and powerful former president Evo Morales ahead of the 2025 election.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced Thursday that he would soon visit his "friend" Arce to support him following the unrest.
Russia "strongly" condemned the attempted military coup, its foreign ministry said Thursday, warning against "destructive foreign interference" in the South American country.
UN chief Antonio Guterres "welcomes the peaceful resolution of the situation," his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, having earlier expressed alarm over the abortive coup.
Condemnations of the coup bid also poured in from Madrid, Washington and across Latin America.
- Political tug of war -
Bolivia, which has a long history of military coups, has in recent weeks been rocked by an economic crisis due to a drop in natural gas production, its main source of foreign currency until 2023.
The country has had to reduce fuel imports, and there is a shortage of dollars, which has triggered protests by powerful unions of merchants and freight transporters.
Gustavo Flores-Macias, a professor of government at Cornell University in New York state, told AFP the failed coup was "a symptom of a significant and broad discontent" in the country.
For now, "we must carefully evaluate how widespread the discontent is within the armed forces," he said, adding that Arce's government was facing "a critical moment of weakness."
Bolivia is also 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.
A.S.Diogo--PC