President Luis Arce's career has mirrored Bolivia's economic trajectory from boom to bust

The president of Bolivia is a 60-year-old leftist whom many see as an opponent of Washington-backed free-market and neoliberal policies. Luis Arce became the target of an attempted coup Wednesday night when the general commander of the Army led rebels to Bolivia's government palace. Arce studied economics in London and was economy minister under President Evo Morales, whose time in office from 2006 to 2019 made him an icon of the Latin American left. After Morales left office, Arce became president in November 2020, following Jeanine Añez’s short time in office. Arce’s career has mirrored Bolivia’s economic trajectory from boom to bust.