Paraguay Senate impeaches President Peña, VP Alliana takes over

The Paraguayan Senate unanimously voted to impeach President Santiago Peña on Friday following the collapse of Ueno Bank. According to KahawaTungu, the impeachment was triggered by a crisis involving the digital bank, which was seized by the central bank and left an estimated three million people, or more than half the population, unable to access their savings and pensions.

KahawaTungu reports that Peña had offered to resign on Thursday, but lawmakers instead proceeded with impeachment proceedings involving charges of misconduct, including allegations of diverted pension funds, manipulated regulatory oversight, and conflicts of interest.

Following the impeachment, authorities placed Peña under house arrest, according to France 24. KahawaTungu reports that Peña, who held shares in the company that owned the bank until last year, has denied any wrongdoing and is due to be questioned Saturday regarding allegations of misappropriation of funds, influence peddling, and breach of trust.

Pedro Alliana, the former vice president, was sworn in as president on Friday. Gulf News notes that Alliana is a 52-year-old businessman and former national basketball player who has served three years as vice president. Upon being sworn in, Alliana pledged to address the banking crisis before his term ends in August 2028.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Punch Nigeria, France 24, Gulf News, KahawaTungu — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.