(29 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
La Paz, Bolivia - 28 June 2024
1. Bolivian President Luis Arce arrives at the interview
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Luis Arce, Bolivian President:
"The intention was to take over the government, to be president, if you want. This totally contradicts that statement (about being a self-coup) that I believe is skillfully used to give an argument to the opposition and one they will precisely try to put that issue in the minds of Bolivians."
3. Arce during the interview
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Luis Arce, Bolivian President:
"It is very symptomatic that in the meeting where the decision was made (to do the coup), at 10 am, the morning of the day of the coup, not only soldiers were gathered there, there were military retirees and there were civilian personnel in that meeting, which is what is being investigated. That is, there are the perpetrators, but there are also civilian people who have been behind this coup, this is clear."
5. Arce during the interview
6. Arce leaving the interview
STORYLINE:
Bolivian President Luis Arce said Friday a former general planned to “take over” the government and become president in a failed coup, and he denied that the Andean nation was in an economic crisis.
In an interview with The Associated Press, the embattled leader denied once again that Wednesday's attack on the government palace was a “self-coup” designed to garner him political points.
He added that the government was investigating if the attack was organized by the country’s political opposition.
Arce said his government has been “politically attacked” by his one-time ally turned rival Evo Morales, who has left his government hamstrung in taking on the country's turmoil with a “legislative boycott”, part of their ongoing political spat.
Despite that, he said the country's economy is growing, and that his government is working to “diversify” means of producing, investing in things like lithium and industrializing. Bolivia has the largest reserves of lithium - a metal known as “white gold” and considered essential in the green transition - in the world that has gone largely untapped, in part due to government policy.
He said the government “has taken action” to address intermittent gasoline and dollar shortages, and other hurdles ailing the South American nation's economy.
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