State crisis in Paraguay: Congress does not accept Peña's resignation and wants proceedings

In Paraguay, President Santiago Peña has continued to remain in office despite announcing his resignation amid a banking scandal. The joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives was unable to reach a decision when voting on Peña's resignation request, as reported by Portals abc's live broadcast Thursday evening (local time).

This was due to the withdrawal of legislators from the ruling Colorado Party from the chamber. Apparently, it became evident that they did not have the required majority to accept Peña's resignation, as local media reported. Accepting the resignation would have spared Peña from an impeachment procedure. This process had previously been initiated by the Chamber of Deputies due to the banking crisis involving the digital bank Ueno.

However, the Senate opened the procedure against Peña after the failed resignation and invited him for the current Friday. He announced on the X platform that he intends to defend himself against the impeachment process. Peña has consistently denied accusations of conflicts of interest. The current controversy also revolves around the extent to which Peña could be legally held responsible for potential involvement in the banking scandal.

According to Article 189 of the Paraguayan Constitution, democratically elected former presidents can be tried in court for life, with the exception of those found guilty of impeachment. As a senator, Peña is granted parliamentary immunity. The Senate would need a two-thirds majority to agree to a criminal prosecution. Peña had been involved with the parent company of the now-insolvent Ueno Bank until March 2025. He has always rejected accusations of potential conflicts of interest.