BOLIVIANS chanting in support of President Luis Arce rallied outside his palace today, denouncing an abortive coup attempt that had threatened to pitch the country into political turmoil.

The nation watched in shock and bewilderment on Wednesday as military forces appeared to turn on Mr Arce’s government, seizing control of the capital’s main square with armoured personnel carriers, crashing a tank into the presidential palace and firing tear gas at protesters.

The president awoke today to supporters raising signs in favour of democracy and condemning the now ousted Bolivian army chief, General Juan Jose Zuniga, who led Wednesday’s thwarted coup.

Riot police still stood guard outside the palace doors.

Before his arrest on Wednesday night, Gen Zuniga alleged, without providing evidence, that Mr Arce himself had ordered him to carry out the coup attempt as a ruse to boost the president’s popularity, fuelling a frenzy of deranged speculation.

Opposition senators and government critics have echoed the accusations, describing the the episode as a “self-coup” — claims strongly denied by the government.

In La Paz’s main Plaza Murillo, just hours after it had been filled with tanks and armoored vehicles, demonstrators addressed Mr Arce by his nickname, shouting: “Lucho, you are not alone!”

Soon after the bloodless military action began, it became clear that any attempted takeover had no meaningful political support.

Mr Arce refused to quit and instead named a new army commander, who immediately ordered troops to retreat, ending the rebellion after just three hours.

“Here we are, firm, in the presidential palace, to confront any coup attempt,” Mr Arce said after facing down Gen Zuniga.

Hundreds of the president’s supporters surged into streets surrounding the palace on Wednesday night, singing the national anthem and cheering as fireworks exploded overhead.

Authorities swiftly arrested Gen Zuniga as his soldiers retreated from central La Paz.

“Their goal was to overturn the democratically elected authority,” government Mminister Eduardo del Castillo told journalists as he announced the arrests of Gen Zuniga and an alleged co-conspirator, former vice-admiral Juan Arnez Salvador.

The Bolivian military overthrew elected president Evo Morales in 2019, appointing an interim right-wing regime led by Jeanine Anez that killed hundreds of mainly indigenous protesters in its year in power, which was ended by mass mobilisations for new elections.