Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

has experienced more than 190 coups d'état and revolutions since its independence was declared in 1825. Since 1950, Bolivia has seen the most coups of any country. The penultimate known attempt was in 1984, two years after the country's transition to democracy in 1982. The most recent attempted coup d'état was in 2024, led by General Juan José Zúñiga.

Mutiny of 18 April 1828

While classified as an army mutiny, the events of 18 April 1828 resulted in the deposition of President

Antonio José de Sucre Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá (; 3 February 1795 – 4 June 1830), known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" (), was a Venezuelan general and politician who served as the president of Bolivia from 1825 to 1828. A close friend and associate ...

and have been considered the first coup in Bolivian history. Orchestrated by Casimiro Olañeta and promoted by

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

vian General

Agustín Gamarra Agustín Gamarra Messia (27 August 1785 – 18 November 1841) was a Peruvian soldier and politician, who served as the 4th and 6th President of Peru. Gamarra was a Mestizo, being of mixed Spanish and Quechua descent. He had a military life s ...

, the event saw an uprising by the military garrison in Chuquisaca. In an attempt to quell the riot, Sucre was wounded in the arm. As a result, command was delegated to José María Pérez de Urdininea who served as interim president until Sucre officially resigned on 2 August 1828. In the following years, General Gamarra would invade Bolivia, occupying large portions of the country.

Pedro Blanco Soto Pedro Blanco Soto (19 October 1795 – 1 January 1829) was a Bolivian soldier and politician and president of the Republic of Upper Peru, an unrecognized entity that emerged in the limits of the department of La Paz and, which claimed the t ...

, the pro-Peru president elected by the Constituent assembly on 18 December 1828 and who took office on 26 December would himself be deposed just a week after assuming office. Military leadership under Colonel José Ballivián arrested Blanco and imprisoned him in a convent called La Recoletta where he would be assassinated on

New Year's Day In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...

1829.

Coups of 1839–1879

The internal anarchy which resulted in the dissolution of the

Peru–Bolivian Confederation The Peru–Bolivian Confederation () was a short-lived state that existed in South America between 1836 and 1839. The country was a loose confederation made up of three states: North Peru and South Peru—states that arose from the division of th ...

ended with the resignation of

Andrés de Santa Cruz Andrés de Santa Cruz y Calahumana (; 30 November 1792 – 25 September 1865) was a Bolivian general and politician who served as interim president of Peru in 1827, the interim president of Peru from 1836 to 1838 and the sixth president of ...

on 20 February 1839. The chaotic political climate of the ensuing days which saw José Ballivián unsuccessfully declare himself president would end on 22 February when

José Miguel de Velasco José Miguel de Velasco Franco (; 29 September 1795 – 13 October 1859) was a Bolivian Officer (armed forces), military officer and statesman who served as the fourth president of Bolivia on four occasions: 1828, 1829, 1839–1841, and 1848. V ...

assumed the presidency. The following decades from 1839 to 1879 would see a succession of various military leaders overthrow one another with brief periods of democracy intermixed.

Coups d'état in Bolivia (1839–1879)

* 10 June 1841: Sebastián Ágreda overthrows

José Miguel de Velasco Franco José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , ...

and cedes command to Mariano Enrique Calvo, a pro-Andrés de Santa Cruz loyalist, on 9 July. *22 September 1841: José Ballivián overthrows Mariano Enrique Calvo. *2 January 1848: Ballivián, weary of the growing conflict with the General

Manuel Isidoro Belzu Manuel Isidoro Belzu Humérez (4 April 1808 – 27 March 1865) was a Bolivian military officer and statesman who served as the 11th president of Bolivia from 1848 to 1855. Under his presidency, the current national anthem and flag of Bolivia we ...

, resigns from office on 23 December 1847. His successor,

Eusebio Guilarte Eusebio Guilarte Mole (15 October 1805 – 11 June 1849) was a Bolivian military officer and statesman who served as the tenth president of Bolivia from 1847 to 1848. Biography A career military officer (not an uncommon choice at the time), ...

rules for just over a week before being deposed by Belzu on 2 January 1848. Belzu then installs José Miguel de Velasco as president. *6 December 1848: Manuel Isidoro Belzu overthrows José Miguel de Velasco. A bloody counter-coup by General Velasco is put down, with Belzu commanding the troops that crushed Velasco's. *9 September 1857: Belzu "retires" and calls elections which are won by

Jorge Córdova Jorge Córdova (23 April 1822, in La Paz – 23 October 1861) was a Bolivian general and politician who served as the 12th president of Bolivia from 1855 to 1857. He was overthrown in 1857 by forces loyal to José María Linares. He was assassi ...

, Belzu's son-in-law. Córdova rules as a proxy for Belzu until supporters of

José María Linares José María Linares Lizarazu (10 July 1808 – 23 October 1861) was a Bolivian lawyer and politician who served as the 13th president of Bolivia from 1857 to 1861. Commencing his political career at a young age, he emerged as a fervent advoca ...

proclaim him president in

Oruro Oruro (Hispanicized spelling) or Uru Uru is a city in Bolivia with a population of 264,683 (2012 calculation), about halfway between La Paz and Sucre in the Altiplano, approximately above sea level. It is Bolivia's fifth-largest city by populat ...

rising militarily against the government. Córdova and his forces were finally defeated by the ''Linaristas'' in

Cochabamba Cochabamba (; ) is a city and municipality in central Bolivia in a valley in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital (political), capital of the Cochabamba Department and the list of cities in Bolivia, fourth largest city in Bolivia, with ...

on 27 September. *14 January 1861: José María Linares is overthrown by his own government ministers

José María de Achá José María de Achá Valiente (8 July 1810 – 29 January 1868) was a Bolivian general who served as the 14th president of Bolivia from 1861 to 1864. He served in the battles of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation and conspired against longtime ...

, Ruperto Fernández, and Manuel Antonio Sánchez. *28 December 1864:

Mariano Melgarejo Manuel Mariano Melgarejo Valencia (13 April 1820 – 23 November 1871) was a Bolivian military officer and politician who served as the fifteenth president of Bolivia from December 28, 1864, until his fall on January 15, 1871. He assumed power ...

overthrows the unpopular José María de Achá, prevailing over the competing forces of Belzu. *15 January 1871:

Agustín Morales Pedro Agustín Morales Hernández (11 March 1808 – 27 November 1872) was a Bolivian military officer who served as the 16th president of Bolivia from 1871 to 1872. Early years Morales was born in La Paz. Originally a supporter of Pre ...

overthrows Mariano Melgarejo. *4 May 1876:

Hilarión Daza Hilarión Daza (born Hilarión Grosolí Daza; 14 January 1840 – 27 February 1894) was a Bolivian military officer who served as the 19th president of Bolivia from 1876 to his overthrow in a 1879 military coup. During his presidency, the infamo ...

overthrows Tomás Frías Ametller. *28 December 1879: During the government of Hilarión Daza, the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...

commences between Peru and Bolivia against

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. Daza personally leads portions of the Bolivian military in the conflict. Faced with the encroaching victory of the

Chilean army The Chilean Army () is the land arm of the Chilean Armed Forces. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, an army aviation brigade and a special operations brigade. In recent years, and after sever ...

, Daza was declared deposed in his absence on 28 December 1879.

Narciso Campero Narciso Campero Leyes (29 October 1813 – 12 August 1896) was a Bolivian general and politician who served as the 20th president of Bolivia from 1880 to 1884. He was a member of the Liberal Party. The Narciso Campero Province was named afte ...

is proclaimed president on 19 January 1880 beginning a period of democracy led by the Conservative Party.

Federal War

The Conservative Era ended with the Bolivian Civil War, also known as the Federal War, in which the Liberals under José Manuel Pando deposed President

Severo Fernández Severo Fernández Alonso Caballero (15 August 1849 – 12 August 1925) was a Bolivian lawyer, jurist, and politician who served as the 24th president of Bolivia from 1896 to 1899. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as the 10th vic ...

on 12 April 1899. The ensuing Liberal Era was the longest period of uninterrupted single-party rule in Bolivian history. It ended on 12 August 1920 when President José Gutiérrez Guerra was deposed by the Socialist Republican Party of

Bautista Saavedra Bautista Saavedra Mallea (30 August 1870 in Sorata – 1 March 1939) was a Bolivians, Bolivian lawyer and politician who served as the 29th president of Bolivia from 1921 to 1925. Prior to that, he was part of a governing junta from 1920 to ...

Coups of 1930–1946

Many of the coups in this era would be sparked by the instability forged by Bolivia's loss against

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

in the

Chaco War The Chaco War (, Great Depression in Latin America, President

Hernando Siles Reyes Hernando Siles Reyes (5 August 1882 – 23 November 1942) was a Bolivian politician who served as the 31st president of Bolivia from 1926 to 1930. The founder of the Nationalist Party, he soon gravitated toward the Saavedrista faction of ...

resigns from office on 28 May 1930, entrusting his ministerial cabinet with command of the executive. The cabinet is overthrown a month later by General Carlos Blanco Galindo. *27 November 1934: Conflicts between President

Daniel Salamanca Daniel Domingo Salamanca Urey (8 July 1869 – 17 July 1935) was a Bolivian lawyer and politician who served as the 33rd president of Bolivia from 1931 to 1934. He was overthrown in a ''coup d'état'' on 27 November 1934, during the country' ...

and military high command during the Chaco War resulted in the so-called ''Corrallto de Villamontes''. The young officer

Germán Busch Víctor Germán Busch Becerra (23 March 1903 – 23 August 1939) was a Bolivian military officer and statesman who served as the 36th president of Bolivia from 1937 until his death in 1939. Prior to his presidency, he served as the Chief of t ...

, under the direction of Colonel

David Toro José David Toro Ruilova (24 June 1898 – 25 July 1977) was a Bolivian military officer and politician who served as the 35th president of Bolivia from 1936 to 1937. He previously served as minister of development and minister of governme ...

and General

Enrique Peñaranda Enrique Peñaranda del Castillo (15 November 1892 – 22 December 1969) was a Bolivian general who served as the 38th president of Bolivia from 1940 until his overthrow in 1943. He previously served as commander-in-chief of the country's Armed ...

, overthrows Daniel Salamanca miles from the front line. Vice President José Luis Tejada is allowed to assume office in order to keep democratic appearances. * 17 May 1936: Germán Busch overthrows the unpopular José Luis Tejada and installs David Toro as president two days later. *13 July 1937: Germán Busch, dissatisfied with the slow reforms of David Toro, leads a popular movement to secure Toro's resignation. *20 December 1943:

Gualberto Villarroel Gualberto Villarroel López (15 December 1908 – 21 July 1946) was a Bolivians, Bolivian military officer who served as the 39th president of Bolivia from 1943 to 1946. A reformist, sometimes compared with Argentina's Juan Perón, he is non ...

and the

MNR MNR may stand for: Transportation * Maine Northern Railway *Metro-North Railroad in New York State *Mid-Norfolk Railway, a heritage railway in Norfolk, England * Manx Northern Railway, a railway on the Isle of Man from 1879 to 1905 * Manor Road r ...

overthrow Enrique Peñaranda who had returned the country to the pre-Chaco War status quo following the death of Busch. *21 July 1946: Gualberto Villarroel is lynched by an enraged mob and an interim junta is established headed by

Néstor Guillén Néstor Guillén Olmos (28 January 1890 – 12 March 1966) was a Bolivian judge, lawyer, and politician who served as the 40th president of Bolivia from July to August 1946. Background and earlier career Born in La Paz, Guillén studied law ...

and later Tomás Monje. Following the death of Villarroel, the age of left-wing military regimes came to an end. The Republican Socialist Unity Party (PURS) under

Enrique Hertzog José Enrique Hertzog Garaizábal (10 November 1897 – 31 July 1981) was a Bolivian physician and politician who served as the 42nd president of Bolivia from 1947 to 1949. Biography Hertzog was born on 10 November 1897. A medical doctor by ...

and later

Mamerto Urriolagoitía Mamerto Urriolagoitía Harriague (; 5 December 1895 – 4 June 1974) was a Bolivian lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact n ...

returned the country to the status quo.

''Sexenio'' and the National Revolution of 1952

The so-called ''sexenio'' were the six years between 1946 and 1952 in which the traditional conservative order briefly returned to power. Attempts by the left-wing to reassert control failed militarily in 1949 and legally in 1951 but were successful in 1952. A period of democratic control by the

Revolutionary Nationalist Movement The Revolutionary Nationalist Movement ( , MNR) is a centre-right, conservative political party in Bolivia. It was the leading force behind the Bolivian National Revolution from 1952 to 1964. It influenced much of the country's history since 19 ...

(MNR) saw failed attempted coups by the right-wing until the military overthrew the new order in 1965.

Coups d'état in Bolivia (1949–1964)

* 27 August–12 September 1949: The so-called "Civil War" of 1949. Uprisings by MNR militants in four cities lead to a parallel government being declared in

Santa Cruz de la Sierra Santa Cruz de la Sierra (; ), commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the largest city in Bolivia and the capital of the Santa Cruz Department (Bolivia), Santa Cruz department. Situated on the Pirai River (Bolivia), Pirai River in the eastern Tropical ...

under the interim presidency of Edmundo Roca.

Víctor Paz Estenssoro Ángel Víctor Paz Estenssoro (2 October 1907 – 7 June 2001) was a Bolivian politician who served as the 45th president of Bolivia for three nonconsecutive and four total terms from 1952 to 1956, 1960 to 1964 and 1985 to 1989. He ran for pr ...

(exiled in

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

) is declared president but the government in

La Paz La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...

regains control on 12 September. * 16 May 1951:

General elections A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...

held on 6 May 1951 end in the victory of the MNR and the election of Víctor Paz Estenssoro as president. The results are not accepted by President

who enacts a

self-coup A self-coup, also called an autocoup () or coup from the top, is a form of coup d'état in which a political leader, having come to power through legal means, stays in power illegally through the actions of themselves or their supporters. The le ...

known as the ''Mamertazo'', resigning and installing General

Hugo Ballivián Hugo Ballivián Rojas (7 June 1901 – 15 July 1993) was a Bolivian politician and military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries ar ...

as president on 16 May 1951. * 11 April 1952: The Bolivian National Revolution of 1952. Hugo Ballivián is deposed on 11 April 1952.

Hernán Siles Zuazo Hernán Siles Zuazo (21 March 1914 – 6 August 1996) was a Bolivian politician who served as the 46th president of Bolivia twice nonconsecutively from 1956 to 1960 and from 1982 to 1985. He also briefly served as interim president in April 1952 ...

, Paz Estenssoro's 1951 running mate, assumes command until 15 April when Paz Estenssoro arrives from exile to take the presidency. A period of democratic elections won by the MNR begins. * 21 October 1958: The

Bolivian Socialist Falange The Bolivian Socialist Falange () is a Bolivian political party established in 1937. It is a far-rightJohn, S (2006) ''Permanent Revolution on the Altiplano: Bolivian Trotskyism, 1928-2005'', p. 445 party drawing inspiration from fascism. It was t ...

(FSB), the main conservative opposition to the MNR, fail to overthrow the now-president Hernán Siles Zuazo. * 19 April 1959: A second attempted coup by the FSB ended in a failed assassination attempt against Siles Zuazo. The subsequent massacre resulted in many deaths and the

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

Óscar Únzaga Óscar Únzaga de la Vega (19 April 1916 – 19 April 1959) was a Bolivian political figure and rebel. Most significantly, he founded the Bolivian Socialist Falange (FSB) movement in 1937, and ran for President in the 1956 elections The foll ...

, the FSB leader. * 5 November 1964: Víctor Paz Estenssoro, who won a nonconsecutive term in 1960, is deposed by

René Barrientos René Emilio Barrientos Ortuño (30 May 1919 – 27 April 1969) was a Bolivian military officer and politician who served as the 47th president of Bolivia from 1964 to 1966 and 1966 to 1969. During his first term, he shared power with Alfred ...

, his own vice president, and General

Alfredo Ovando Alfredo Ovando Candia (6 April 1918 – 24 January 1982) was a Bolivian military officer and political leader who served as the 48th president of Bolivia from 1965 to 1966 and 1969 to 1970. During his first term, he shared power with René Bar ...

.Page 175
''Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs and the Press'' This brings an end to stable democratic rule in Bolivia for almost two decades until 1982.

Coups of 1969–1980

In 1966, Barrientos was elected in his own right but died soon after in a helicopter crash theorized to be masterminded by Ovando. The period after this would see over a decade of dictatorships by various military officers who assumed the presidency as a result of multiple coups.

Coups d'état in Bolivia (1966–1980)

* 26 September 1969: Vice President Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas succeeds Barrientos after his death in April but is soon after overthrown by General Alfredo Ovando. * 6 October 1970: Ovando is deposed in a coup d'état led by the chiefs of the army, air force, and navy. However, the military triumvirate lasts less than a day before being overthrown by Ovando loyalists led by

Juan José Torres Juan José Torres González (5 March 1920 – 2 June 1976) was a Bolivian socialism, socialist politician and military leader who served as the 50th president of Bolivia from 1970 to 1971, when he was ousted in a coup that resulted in the ...

. Ovando agrees not to return to the presidency entrusting it with Torres. * 21 August 1971: Hugo Banzer overthrows Juan José Torres. Banzer would maintain his dictatorship for most of the 1970s. * 7 November 1974: Military revolt against Banzer in

is put down. Following this, Banzer dropped all pretenses of holding future elections, banned all political activity, and proceeded to rule henceforth solely with military support until 1978. * 21 July 1978:

Juan Pereda Juan Pereda Asbún (17 June 1931 – 25 November 2012) was a Bolivian military general who served as the 52nd president of Bolivia in 1978. Although he ruled for only four months, his ascent to the presidency marked the beginning of ...

overthrows the military junta installed by Hugo Banzer following his resignation. * 24 November 1978: David Padilla overthrows Juan Pereda. Following the inconclusive 1979 general elections, Padilla hands power to

Wálter Guevara Wálter Guevara Arze (March 11, 1912 in Ayopaya Province, Cochabamba Department, Bolivia – June 20, 1996 in La Paz, Bolivia) was a Bolivian statesman, cabinet minister, writer, and diplomat, who served as the 54th president of Bolivia on an ...

on an interim basis. * 1 November 1979: Alberto Natusch overthrows

but resigns two weeks later in favor of

Lidia Gueiler Tejada Lidia Gueiler Tejada (28 August 1921 – 9 May 2011) was a Bolivian politician who served as the 56th president of Bolivia on an interim basis from 1979 to 1980. She was Bolivia's first female Head of State, and the second female head of state ...

. * 17 July 1980: Luis García Meza overthrows Lidia Gueiler Tejada.Page 80
''Real Terror Network: Terrorism in Fact and Propaganda'' * 30 June 1984: President Hernan Siles Zuazo was arrested for ten hours. The coup was ultimately a failure.

Coups in the 21st century

* 10 November 2019: Bolivian president

Evo Morales Juan Evo Morales Ayma (; born 26 October 1959) is a Bolivian politician, trade union organizer, and former cocalero activist who served as the 65th president of Bolivia from 2006 to 2019. Widely regarded as the country's first president to come ...

was forced to step down under pressure from the military and police, after which Jeanine Añez was installed as new president. There has been debate over whether this constituted a coup or not. A number of Latin American politicians, including

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (; born Luiz Inácio da Silva; 27 October 1945), known Mononym, mononymously as Lula, is a Brazilian politician, trade unionist and former metalworker who has served as the 39th president of Brazil since 2023. A mem ...

Nicolás Maduro Nicolás Maduro Moros (; born 23 November 1962) is a Venezuelan politician and former union leader serving as the 53rd president of Venezuela since 2013. Previously, he was the 24th Vice President of Venezuela, vice president from 2012 to 20 ...

Marcelo Ebrard Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubón (; born 10 October 1959) is a Mexicans, Mexican politician who has served as the Secretariat of Economy, secretary of economy since 2024. He previously served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Mexico), Secretary of ...

Alberto Fernández Alberto Ángel Fernández (; born 2 April 1959) is an Argentine politician, lawyer, and academic who served as President of Argentina from 2019 to 2023. He was also the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers from 2003 to 2008. His tenure as Cabin ...

and

Miguel Díaz-Canel Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (; born 20 April 1960) is a Cuban politician and engineer. He has served as the 8th First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba since 2021 and as the 17th president o ...

, as well as the

Uruguayan Uruguayans () are people identified with the country of Uruguay, through citizenship or descent. Uruguay is home to people of different ethnic origins. As a result, many Uruguayans do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizen ...

government described Morales' forced resignation as a coup. * 26 June 2024: In an attempt to overthrow president

Luis Arce Luis Alberto Arce Catacora (; born 28 September 1963), often referred to as Lucho, is a Bolivian banker, economist, and politician serving as the 67th president of Bolivia since 2020. A member of the Movement for Socialism (Bolivia), Movement fo ...

, commander of the Bolivian Army General Juan José Zúñiga surrounded the

Plaza Murillo The Plaza Murillo is the central plaza of the city of La Paz and the open space most connected to the political life of Bolivia. Prominent buildings on the plaza include the Presidential Palace, National Congress of Bolivia, and the Cathedral of L ...

with soldiers and tanks, but backed down and was dismissed. Zúñiga was arrested shortly afterwards on the same day.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coups d'etat in Bolivia Political history of Bolivia