European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has slammed Bolivia’s military for trying to storm the country’s government palace in La Paz in what appeared to be an attempted coup.

“I firmly condemn the attempts to overthrow the democratically elected government of Bolivia,” the head of the EU’s executive wrote on X.

“The European Union stands by democracies. We express our strong support for the constitutional order and rule of law in Bolivia.”

European Council President Charles Michel also took to Twitter to condemn the military’s action.

“I strongly condemn the military uprising against the Bolivian constitutional order and the democratically elected government of President Luis Arce,” he wrote.

“The European Union supports democracy and the Bolivian people.”

The EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, said that “the European Union condemns any attempt to undermine the constitutional order in Bolivia and overthrow democratically elected governments and expresses its solidarity with the Bolivian government and people.”

Bolivian armed forces pulled back from the presidential palace in La Paz on Wednesday and a general was arrested after President Luis Arce slammed a “coup” attempt against the government and called for international support.

Earlier in the day, military units led by Juan Jose Zuniga, recently stripped of his military command, had gathered in the central Plaza Murillo square, home to the presidential palace and Congress.

 (dpa/NAN)