Bolivian authorities have arrested the commanding officer of its army following an apparent failed coup attempt to overthrow the government.
On Wednesday, military forces appeared to have taken control of President Luis Arce's administration, surrounding the presidential palace in La Paz.
However, President Arce stood firm against the rebels and swiftly appointed a new commander of the Bolivian army, who immediately ordered the coup to be halted.
Within hours, soldiers, along with a line of military vehicles, withdrew, effectively ending the rebellion.
The retreat was followed by the arrest of Army Chief General Juan José Zúñiga after Bolivia's Attorney General opened an investigation.
Former Navy Vice Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador was also taken into custody, according to Bolivian government minister Eduardo del Castillo.
This development follows months of escalating tensions between President Arce and his former ally, ex-President Evo Morales, over control of the ruling party, amidst a backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis.
Mr del Castillo informed journalists that the aim of the coup was to "overturn the democratically elected authority."
However, General Zúñiga, during the rebellion, asserted that the military was weary of government infighting and sought "to restore democracy."
