Self-coup
{{short description|Elected leader illegally maintaining or increasing power}}
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A self-coup, also called an autocoup ({{etymology|es|{{Wikt-lang|es|autogolpe}}|}}) or coup from the top, is a form of coup d'état in which a political leader, having come to power through legal means, stays in power illegally through the actions of themselves or their supporters.{{Cite journal |last1=Chin |first1=John J |last2=Carter |first2=David B |last3=Wright |first3=Joseph G |date=2021 |title=The Varieties of Coups D'état: Introducing the Colpus Dataset |journal=International Studies Quarterly |volume=65 |issue=4 |pages=1040–1051 |doi=10.1093/isq/sqab058 |issn=0020-8833}} The leader may dissolve or render powerless the national legislature and unlawfully assume extraordinary powers. Other measures may include annulling the constitution, suspending civil courts, and having the head of government assume dictatorial powers.{{Cite book |last=Kaufman |first=Edy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vMHNkmwKPuQC |title=Uruguay in Transition: From Civilian to Military Rule |publisher=Transaction Publishers |isbn=978-1-4128-4084-2 |language=en}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/12/trumps-farcical-inept-and-deadly-serious-coup-attempt/617309/ |title=This Must Be Your First|first1=Zeynep|last1=Tufekci|work=The Atlantic|date=December 7, 2020|quote=In political science, the term coup refers to the illegitimate overthrow of a sitting government — usually through violence or the threat of violence. The technical term for attempting to stay in power illegitimately — such as after losing an election — is self-coup or autocoup, sometimes autogolpe}}
From 1946 to the beginning of 2021, an estimated 148 self-coup attempts took place, 110 in autocracies and 38 in democracies.{{cite news|last= Nakamura|first=David|title=With brazen assault on election, Trump prompts critics to warn of a coup |date=January 5, 2021|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-election-coup/2021/01/05/26afcfc0-4f6c-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=January 5, 2021}}
Notable events described as self-coups
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Notable events described as attempted self-coups
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- {{flag|Guatemala}}: President Jorge Serrano Elías (May 25 – June 5, 1993)Barry S. Levitt (2006), "A Desultory Defense of Democracy: OAS Resolution 1080 and the Inter-American Democratic Charter, Latin American Politics and Society, Volume 48, Issue 3, September 2006, Pages: 93–123. pp104-5
- {{flag|Indonesia}}: President Abdurrahman Wahid (July 1–25, 2001){{cite news| last1= Ingraham |first1=Christopher |title= Coup attempts usually usher in long stretches of democratic decline, data shows |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/01/22/self-coup-next/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 22, 2021}}
- {{flag|Malaysia}}: Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (February 23 – March 1, 2020){{cite news|title=Mahathir proposes to lead 'unity government' – sources |url= https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-politics-mahathir/malaysias-mahathir-proposes-to-lead-unity-government-sources-idUSKCN20J152| agency=Rueters |date=February 25, 2020}}
- {{flag|United States}}: President Donald Trump (November 4, 2020 – January 6, 2021; after election loss)
{{cite journal |last1=Pion-Berlin |first1=David |last2=Bruneau |first2=Thomas |last3=Goetze |first3=Richard B. Jr.|date=2022-04-07 |title=The Trump self-coup attempt: comparisons and civil–military relations |journal=Government and Opposition |volume=FirstView |issue=4 |pages=789–806 |doi=10.1017/gov.2022.13 |s2cid=248033246 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Michael |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003110361-1/introduction-michael-harvey |title=Donald Trump in Historical Perspective |date=2022 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-003-11036-1 |editor-last=Harvey |editor-first=Michael |chapter=Introduction: History's Rhymes |doi=10.4324/9781003110361-1 |quote = As with the Beer Hall Putsch, a would-be leader tried to take advantage of an already scheduled event (in Hitler's case, Kahr's speech; in Trump's, Congress's tallying of the electoral votes) to create a dramatic moment with himself at the center of attention, calling for bold action to upend the political order. Unlike Hitler's coup attempt, Trump already held the top of the office, so he was attempting to hold onto power, not seize it (the precise term for Trump's intended action is a 'self-coup' or 'autogolpe'). Thus, Trump was able to plan for the event well in advance and with much greater control, including developing the legal arguments that could be used to justify rejecting the election's results. |page=3}}{{cite journal |author1-last=Castañeda |author1-first=Ernesto |author2-last=Jenks |author2-first=Daniel |date=April 17, 2023 |title=January 6th and De-Democratization in the United States |editor-last1=Costa |editor-first1=Bruno Ferreira |editor-last2=Parton|editor-first2=Nigel|journal=Social Sciences |publisher=MDPI |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=238 |doi=10.3390/socsci12040238 |doi-access=free |issn=2076-0760|quote=What the United States went through on January 6th was an attempt at a self-coup, where Trump would use force to stay as head of state even if abandoning democratic practices in the U.S. Some advised Trump to declare martial law to create a state of emergency and use that as an excuse to stay in power.}}
- {{flag|Peru}}: President Pedro Castillo (December 7, 2022){{Multiref2
|1={{Cite web |last1=Aspinwall |first1=Nick |last2=Chen |first2=Alicia |title=Peru's Failed Presidential Coup Sparks Democratic Crisis |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/12/20/peru-failed-presidential-coup-democratic-crisis/ |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=Foreign Policy |date=December 20, 2022 |language=en-US}}
|2={{Cite web |last=Villar |first=Paola |date=2022-12-07 |title=Peru's President Pedro Castillo Stages Self-Coup, Announces Dissolution of Congress |url=https://www.bloomberglinea.com/english/perus-president-pedro-castillo-stages-self-coup-announces-dissolution-of-congress/ |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=Bloomberg Línea |language=en-US}}
|3={{Cite web |last=Quesada |first=Juan Diego |date=2022-12-09 |title=Inside the coup in Peru: 'President, what have you done?' |url=https://english.elpais.com/international/2022-12-09/inside-the-coup-in-peru-president-what-have-you-done.html |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=El País English |language=en-us}}
|4={{Cite web |title=After failed self-coup: Peru's ousted president seeks meeting with rights inspectors |url=https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/a/2008492.html |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=today.rtl.lu |language=en}}
|5={{Cite web |title=High drama in Lima as Peru ousts its president after he attempts self-coup |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2022/12/08/high-drama-in-lima-as-peru-ousts-its-president-after-he-attempts-self-coup.html |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=The Week |language=en}}
|6={{Cite web |date=2022-12-12 |title=Peru's new president suggests moving general election forward to April |url=https://www.euronews.com/2022/12/12/perus-new-president-suggests-moving-general-election-forward-to-april-2024 |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=euronews |language=en}}
}}
- {{flag|Brazil}}: President Jair Bolsonaro (October 30, 2022 – December 31, 2022; January 8, 2023; after election loss){{cite news |last=Carvalho |first=Diego |date=October 17, 2023 |title=Brazil's Bolsonaro Plotted Coup After Election Defeat, Congressional Probe Finds |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-17/brazil-s-bolsonaro-accused-of-plotting-coup-in-congress-probe-of-jan-8-riots?embedded-checkout=true |work=Bloomberg |access-date=January 11, 2024}}{{cite news |last=Arias |first=Juan |date=August 25, 2023 |title=Brazilian military caught in the crossfire after failed coup attempt against Lula's government |url=https://english.elpais.com/opinion/2023-08-25/brazilian-military-caught-in-the-crossfire-after-failed-coup-attempt-against-lulas-government.html |work=El País |access-date=January 11, 2024}}
- {{flag|Israel}}: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (ongoing events, since he assumed office on December 29, 2022){{Cite news |last=Friedman |first=Thomas L. |date=February 14, 2023 |title=Netanyahu's Judicial Coup Could Destroy His Start-Up Nation |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/14/opinion/bibi-netanyahu-israel.html |url-status=live |access-date=2023-08-01 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230219085933/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/14/opinion/bibi-netanyahu-israel.html |archive-date=19 February 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Friedman |first=Thomas L. |date=2023-03-28 |title=Netanyahu Cannot Be Trusted |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/28/opinion/israel-protests-benjamin-netanyahu.html |url-status=live |access-date=2023-08-01 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230328050812/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/28/opinion/israel-protests-benjamin-netanyahu.html |archive-date=2023-03-28}}{{Cite news |last=Kingsley |first=Patrick |date=July 23, 2023 |title=Israel's Identity Hangs in Balance Ahead of Key Vote on New Law |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/23/world/middleeast/israel-government-vote-netanyahu.html |url-status=live |access-date=August 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230723164423/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/23/world/middleeast/israel-government-vote-netanyahu.html |archive-date=July 23, 2023}}{{Cite web |date=2023-03-27 |title=A Coup d'État in Israel? : The Bitter Harvest of Colonialism |url=https://crimethinc.com/2023/03/27/a-coup-detat-in-israel-the-bitter-harvest-of-colonialism |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=CrimethInc. |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Harari |first=Yuval Noah |date=March 9, 2023 |title=This Is Definitely a Coup. Israel Is on Its Way to Becoming a Dictatorship |language=en |work=Haaretz |url=https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2023-03-09/ty-article-opinion/this-is-definitely-a-coup-israel-is-on-its-way-to-becoming-a-dictatorship/00000186-c728-d069-a3df-c73897c10000 |access-date=2023-08-01 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230309170347/https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2023-03-09/ty-article-opinion/this-is-definitely-a-coup-israel-is-on-its-way-to-becoming-a-dictatorship/00000186-c728-d069-a3df-c73897c10000 |archive-date=March 9, 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Freedland |first=Jonathan |date=2023-03-31 |title=Netanyahu is leading a coup against his own country. But the threat is not only to Israel |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/31/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-northern-ireland-palestine |url-status=live |access-date=2023-08-01 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230401161858/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/31/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-northern-ireland-palestine |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=Starr |first=Michael |date=January 8, 2023 |title=30,000 march in Tel Aviv against 'coup d'état' Levin judicial reform |url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-726915 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230108092659/https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-726915 |archive-date=January 8, 2023 |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=en-US}}
- {{flag|South Korea}}: President Yoon Suk Yeol (December 3–4, 2024){{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=James |date=4 December 2024 |title=How South Koreans Rejected Martial Law |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/12/03/south-korea-yoon-martial-law-army-parliament-vote/ |website=Foreignpolicy.com}}{{Cite web |last= Schaefer |first= Christopher |date=5 December 2024 |title=Lessons From South Korea’s Six-Hour Dictatorship |url=https://rdi.org/articles/lessons-from-south-koreas-six-hour-dictatorship/ |website=Renew Democracy Initiative}}
- {{flag|United States}}: President Donald Trump (ongoing events, since he assumed office on January 20, 2025){{cite news |last1=Sandbu |first1=Martin |title=Donald Trump’s administrative self-coup |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a221a10a-5ac2-47b6-ba8b-30e18553c181 |access-date=14 February 2025 |work=Financial Times |date=30 January 2025|quote="This assault on both Congress’s power of the purse and on the US’s administrative state is as much of a self-coup as was the spurring of insurrectionists on January 6, 2021."}}{{cite news |last1=Norris |first1=Alex |title=Is It a Coup? |url=https://www.liberalcurrents.com/is-it-a-coup/ |access-date=14 February 2025 |work=Liberal Currents |date=13 February 2025 |language=en|quote="Verdict: Self coup, in-progress, success still unknown"}}
- {{flag|Turkey}}: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (ongoing events culminating in the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu){{cite news |last1=Poyrazlar |first1=Elçin |title=Turkey lurches toward outright autocracy as Erdoğan’s main rival is jailed |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/turkey-jailed-tayyip-erdogan-mayor-immamoglu-jail-crackdown-nato-democracy/ |access-date=25 March 2025 |work=Politico |date=23 March 2025|quote="A court on Sunday formally arrested İmamoğlu on corruption charges pending trial, in a step that the opposition argues is a politically motivated 'coup.'"}}
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See also
References
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Further reading
- Arthur A Goldsmith. 2024. "Power Grabs from the Top: A Database of Self-Coups." International Studies Quarterly, Volume 68, Issue 4
- F. E. Guerra-Pujol. 2024. "[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2489673 Gödel's Loophole: A Prequel]." Southwestern Journal of International Law, Volume 30, Issue 2
External links
- {{Wiktionary inline|self-coup}}
{{Coup d'état}}
{{African coups d'État}}
{{Latin America coup d'état}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Self-Coup}}