1964 Bolivian coup d'état

The coup began early on November 3, when troops of the Ingavi regiment rebelled in La Paz. By the evening all the major military units had backed the coup and on in the afternoon of November 4 Paz Estenssoro with his family was exiled to Lima, as Barrientos and Ovando established their junta. Some sporadic clashes between worker's militia and army were reported, but they soon subsided. It was Ovando who publicly announced formation of the junta but by the evening of the 4th the more popular and constitutionally acceptable vice-president Barrientos emerged as the leader.^[5]

As Paz Estenssoro with his US supported economic policies had alienated radical miners, and with his third term other MNR politicians, former MNR leaders Lechin and Guevara supported the coup, with Guevara becoming the foreign minister in 1967.

One week after the coup Barrientos demanded that miner and worker militias surrender the weapons that they had had since the Revolution of April 9, 1952. Prolonged conflicts with miners followed. In order to reduces the losses of state-owned mines, miner's salaries were reduced by 50%. César Lora, leader of the miners from Siglo XX mine, was killed on July 29, 1965.^[6] By the end of 1965 a united leftist opposition People's Democratic Council was formed.^[7]

The officially released data shows that covert USA expenditures in Bolivia between fiscal year 1963 and fiscal year 1965 were as follows: fiscal year 1963— $337,063; fiscal year 1964—$545,342; and fiscal year 1965—$287,978. Most of it went to support the center and right wings of the ruling MNR party.^[5]

Already after the coup, CIA allegedly contributed US$600,000 to Barrientos election campaign in 1966 and Gulf Oil Corp. donated additional US$460,000 between 1966 and 1969.^[8]

Barrientos lacked sufficient authority to have himself quickly elected president, so on May 7, 1965, he announced indefinite postponement of September elections and concentrated on eliminating his leftist opponents. He sent troops to take over state owned mines of COMIBOL and deported his former supporter Juan Lechin. The armed clashes with miners created an open split between Barrientos and Ovando, who withdrew troops from some of the occupied mines. On May 26, 1965, Ovando was installed as co-president and commander in chief of armed forces along with Barrientos in an effort to prevent split in the ruling junta and armed forces between leftist and rightist elements.^[5]

During 1966 Barrientos received covert financial aid from the US, which was caused by the fact that public office holders had to resign from their office 180 days before the elections. Barrientos followed this rule and this left him without means to pursue an election campaign. During this time Ovando was the president of Bolivia.^[5] Elections were held in July 1966, and Barrientos, as the presidential candidate of the Front of the Bolivian Revolution, won with 67% of vote and was officially inaugurated on August 6, 1966.