Authorities in Moscow have condemned Wednesday’s attempted military coup in Bolivia and warned against “destructive foreign interference” in the South American country.
Two Bolivian army leaders were arrested on Wednesday after soldiers and tanks took up position in front of government buildings, in what President Luis Arce called an attempt to overthrow his government.
“We strongly condemn the attempted military coup,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday, joining dozens of other countries in denouncing the Bolivian army’s actions.
“We express our full, unwavering support for the government of President Luis Arce,” the foreign ministry said, adding that Moscow stood in “solidarity with brotherly Bolivia, our reliable strategic partner.”
Arce visited Russia earlier this month, holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and speaking at a major economic forum.
At the meeting, Putin hailed a “solid foundation of respect” between the two countries and said he hoped to boost economic ties, according to a Kremlin readout.
In its statement on Thursday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry also claimed that unspecified foreign states were trying to interfere in Bolivia’s political system.
“We warn against attempts at destructive foreign interference in the internal affairs of Bolivia and other states, which has repeatedly led to tragic consequences for a number of countries and peoples, including in the Latin American region,” the foreign ministry said.
It did not specify what kind of “foreign interference” it was referring to, although Moscow routinely employs such language to criticize the United States and other Western countries.
