The Bolivian general accused of leading a failed coup was sent to a maximum-security prison on Saturday as he faces charges of terrorism and starting an armed uprising.
“At some point the truth will be known,” General Juan José Zúñiga told reporters as he was handcuffed and escorted by two guards to the vehicle that will take him to the high-security Chonchocoro prison, in suburb of La Paz.
“The rest are innocent. They are innocent people,” he added. Two other former military leaders, including former Navy Vice Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador, were also taken to the same prison.
Mr. Zúñiga, who was arrested on Wednesday after the rebellion, said, without providing evidence, that the country’s President, Luis Arce, had ordered him to lead the rebellion – something the Bolivian leader and his government have vigorously denied .
Arce told The Associated Press on Friday that Zúñiga was considering “taking power” and becoming president, and he again denied that Wednesday’s attack on the government palace was a “self-coup” intended to score political points.
Authorities arrested 21 people, including Mr. Zúñiga, who were being held at police stations in La Paz. All are accused of armed uprising and terrorism. Fourteen of the detainees appeared before a judge on Saturday.
The families of some detainees said Friday they were unaware of any plot, and some say their loved ones were “just following orders” or told them they were carrying out a “military exercise.”