Bolivia was thrown into chaos on June 26 with reports of a coup attempt as military personnel and armored vehicles tried to enter the presidential palace. According to videos from various media outlets, authorities deployed several Chinese-made Dongfeng EQ2050 vehicles to block roads and maintain order. Social media also circulated a video showing one of the armored vehicles in La Paz stuck on the roadside, with its right front wheel turned but the left one jammed, forcing soldiers to use tools and even kick the wheel.
The incident has raised concerns about the vulnerability of Chinese military vehicles. A military blogger known as “Defence Blog” highlighted the potential weaknesses, with the steering rod reportedly breaking upon hitting the curb, leading soldiers to kick the damaged wheel to try to fix it. The Dongfeng EQ2050 armored vehicles, produced by the Shaanxi Baoji Special Vehicles Manufacturing Factory in China, are designed to transport infantry with enhanced armored protection. They are utilized for command post, law enforcement, riot control, and ambulance purposes.
These vehicles accommodate two crew members and can carry up to nine fully armed infantry soldiers. Blogger Dylan Malyasov mentioned that Bolivia first received these vehicles in 2016. The recent malfunction has cast doubts on the reliability of these armored transport vehicles in real combat scenarios. Malyasov, who describes himself as a journalist, certified defense consultant, and advisor, focuses on news related to military equipment from various countries in his blog.
It should be noted that the authenticity of the video could not be independently verified by media outlets.