Coup Atlas Research Database
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14506211953ConspiracyDissident coup

Bolivia, 1953 — dissident coup conspiracy

Bolivia (BOL)South America, AmericasJune 21, 1953

Event Summary

The dataset records an event coded as a dissident coup conspiracy in Bolivia on 21 June 1953, during the first year of the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement government of President Paz Estenssoro that came to power in the April 1952 National Revolution. The chief opposition was the right-wing Bolivian Socialist Falange under Oscar Unzaga de la Vega, which had been plotting to overthrow the MNR since it took power, drawing on displaced elites, former tin mine owners, and dissident military elements opposed to the government's mine nationalization and agrarian reform. The Falange launched a rebellion in La Paz on 6 January 1953 and a failed coup attempt on 9 November 1953, both suppressed by the government with loyalist militias and troops.

The coded June 1953 conspiracy fits this pattern of Falangist anti-MNR plotting between the January and November 1953 uprisings.

Researched Details

Researched

Independent research, added record by record. Hover any label for what it means.

Target identified in Coup Atlas research: President Paz Estenssoro suppressed the Falangist plotting; the MNR held power until 1964
RESEARCHED NAME
Key figures
Victor Paz Estenssoro (president of Bolivia, target)
Bolivian Socialist Falange (FSB, plotters)
Oscar Unzaga de la Vega (FSB leader)

Sources

The right-wing Falange Socialista Boliviana under Oscar Unzaga de la Vega initiated organized resistance to the MNR regime's radical reforms immediately after the April 1952 revolution.
SOURCE REVIEWED Grokipedia, Bolivian Socialist Falange open source ↗
On 6 January 1953 FSB forces launched a rebellion in La Paz and surrounding regions, which the government quickly suppressed with loyalist militias and army units.
SOURCE REVIEWED Grokipedia, Bolivian Socialist Falange open source ↗
The government suppressed a rebellion by the Bolivian Socialist Falange headed by Oscar Unzaga de la Vega on 9 November 1953, resulting in 23 deaths.
SOURCE REVIEWED UCA, Bolivia 1917-present open source ↗
The FSB had been plotting to overthrow the government since the MNR's assumption of power in 1952 and continued failed uprisings for years, including a major attempt in 1959.
SOURCE REVIEWED U.S. State Department, FRUS 1958-60 vol. V Supplement open source ↗

Editorial Note

No discrete plot precisely on 21 June 1953 was found in accessible English sources this session; the entry records the dataset's coding and the verified context of persistent FSB anti-MNR plotting, with the 6 January and 9 November 1953 rebellions as the well-documented bookends. Flagged as context. Continues the Bolivia run into the MNR era.

Cross-Reference

Only one dataset carries it. One of the three reference datasets we check against carries this event; the others do not list it. That is not a contradiction — the datasets cover different periods and use different thresholds — but it means the record has had less outside corroboration.

Identifiers for finding this same event in the other datasets:

Cline Center id
14506211953

How the match is made is described in crossref-report.md.

Outcome and Target

Coup Atlas research identifies the target as: President Paz Estenssoro suppressed the Falangist plotting; the MNR held power until 1964.

Baseline coding: Plot discovered and disrupted before execution. Recorded leader fate: remained in office; not physically harmed. The baseline file does not name individual targets; researched names are kept in a separate layer.

Baseline Dataset Citation

Cline Center Coup d’État Project Dataset, v2.2.2
Peyton, Buddy, Joseph Bajjalieh, Michael Martin, and Andrea Gerald. 2026. Cline Center Coup d’État Project Dataset. Cline Center for Advanced Social Research. V.2.2.2. February 17. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. doi: 10.13012/B2IDB-9651987_V10
⚑ This citation establishes the coded baseline record; use the claim-level sources above for the researched narrative.

Baseline Source-Document Entries

New York Times

“Bolivian Aide Seized: Former Minister is Arrested in Reported Plot,” June 26, 1953
“Civil War Threat Seen,” June 28, 1953

South China Morning Post

“Bolivia’s Foiled Plot: Retired Army Officer Among Many Arrested,” June 25, 1953

This is the citation trail carried by the baseline dataset, grouped by outlet and rejoined from the line-wrapped original. Coup Atlas has not independently re-checked every document; read the original before citing a specific claim. URLs the import damaged beyond safe repair are shown as plain text and listed in citations-report.md. How this list is built →

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