Staatskrise in Südamerika: Santiago Peña als Präsident Paraguays abgesetzt

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has been ousted from office, with the country's Senate voting unanimously to impeach him. Earlier, the lower house of Parliament had also voted unanimously to end his term prematurely. Peña did not attend his own Senate hearing, instead having his lawyers represent him. He had requested a 72-hour delay, but the senators unanimously rejected the request.

The previous day, Peña had announced he would defend himself, but his lawyers argued that the impeachment process would be futile since he had already stated his intention to resign. Peña submitted his resignation on Thursday in an attempt to preempt the impeachment proceedings, but the request was not accepted due to a large number of lawmakers leaving the chamber.

The controversy surrounding Peña's impeachment primarily revolves around the extent to which he may be legally culpable for potential involvement in the current banking scandal in the country. The constitution grants former democratically elected presidents lifetime senatorship, with the exception that they are not eligible if found guilty in an impeachment proceeding.

As a senator, Peña enjoys parliamentary immunity. Paraguay is currently grappling with financial and political crises, with millions fearing for their savings as the Ueno Bank, one of the nation's largest banks, effectively collapsed and the Central Bank initiated a liquidation process.