La Paz, June 28 (RHC)-- Bolivian Minister of Defense Edmundo Novillo has pointed to the possibility of foreign interference in the failed coup d'état on Wednesday -- an attempt, he said, to control of Bolivia's natural resources.

“We do not rule out that there is a background of some external interference.  Bolivia is rich in natural resources, and its natural resources are always highly sought after,” he said in statements to the international media.

An attempted coup took place on Wednesday,  led by former Army commander Juan José Zúñiga and Navy commander Juan Arnez, with hundreds of troops and tanks, occupying the epicenter of political power in Bolivia, Plaza Murillo, for about three hours.

The entrance door to the old Government Palace attached to the Casa Grande del Pueblo (government headquarters) was broken down by one of those armored vehicles, which opened the way for General Zúñiga to enter.

President Luis Arce, in his capacity as commander general of the Bolivian Armed Forces, confronted him and ordered him to withdraw the troops, an order that was disregarded.

Faced with this insubordination, the Bolivian president appointed a new High Command of the Army, Air Force and Navy, an action that put an end to that attempt, and led to the arrest of Zúñiga and 16 others involved in the attempted coup.

The minister reiterated that the interference of foreign interests, with their sights set on Bolivia's natural wealth, is not ruled out -- which includes 23 million certified tons of lithium, a fundamental element in times of global energy transition towards electromobility.

The Bolivian Foreign Ministry, for its part, warned the U.S. chargé d'affaires, Debra Hevia, on the 24th of this month about statements and actions carried out by embassy personnel that are considered interference in internal affairs.

“The Plurinational State of Bolivia promotes a foreign policy based on the principles of equality, non-interference and respect for sovereignty, within the framework of the norms of international law that regulate diplomatic relations,” said the statement published last Monday.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Plurinational State rejects any type of action that promotes interference in our country.”

And in a speech on May 27th, President Luis Arce maintained that the conspiratorial forces are hiding their intentions to attack the constitutional order.  He emphasized that it is important "to work on a security and defense doctrine that expresses the definitive departure from the old National Security Doctrine and the desires of the Monroe Doctrine, which is experienced through the Southern Command" with the objective of appropriating Bolivia's strategic resources. (Prens Latina)