{
  "id": 18836917,
  "title": "Paraguay’s prosecutors charge Santiago Peña and seek his pre-trial detention over the Ueno Bank collapse",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/paraguays-prosecutors-charge-santiago-pena-and-seek-his-pre-trial",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-08T01:53:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MercoPress",
    "slug": "mercopress",
    "url": "https://en.mercopress.com/2026/11/08/paraguay-s-prosecutors-charge-santiago-pena-and-seek-his-pre-trial-detention-over-the-ueno-bank-collapse"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Paraguayan prosecutors charged former President Santiago Peña and requested his pre-trial detention on Saturday in connection with the collapse of Ueno Bank. The bank froze the savings of nearly three million customers. A judge will make a ruling on the request. Carlos Carvallo, former Central Bank president and currently in custody, was also charged. Peña, who testified before prosecutors, is accused of breach of trust, instigation, and self-serving administration. Carvallo is accused of breach of trust, producing false public documents, and self-serving administration. Between 2023 and 2026, Ueno Bank received large deposits from public bodies and pension systems while providing allegedly irregular loans to companies connected to its owners, the Vázquez Group. However, Peña denies any wrongdoing. Following his removal from office, Peña was moved to the Presidential Escort Regiment barracks for his own security after protesters threw stones and tore down fences near his home in Asunción. The new president, Pedro Alliana, has promised to recover customers' savings, starting with those with balances of up to US$1,500 and eventually extending to a maximum of 40 minimum wages, approximately US$19,300. Banks will open on Sunday to facilitate account openings and procedures. Protesters and the opposition accuse Alliana of not acting in time to prevent the bank's collapse and are demanding his removal and early elections in early 2027.",
  "summary": "Paraguayan prosecutors on Saturday charged former President Santiago Peña, removed from office by the Senate on Friday, and requested his pre-trial detention in the case over the collapse of Ueno Bank, which froze the savings of nearly three million customers. A judge must rule on the request. Prosecutors also charged former Central Bank president Carlos Carvallo, who is in custody.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Guardian Business",
        "title": "‘Very strange, very sad’: Paraguay bank collapse fells a presidency and leaves millions broke",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/very-strange-very-sad-paraguay-bank-collapse-fells-a-presidency-and",
        "published": "2026-11-07T11:00:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Buenos Aires Times",
        "title": "Crisis-hit Paraguay impeaches Peña over bank crisis, replaces him with VP Alliana",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/crisis-hit-paraguay-impeaches-pena-over-bank-crisis-replaces-him-with",
        "published": "2026-11-07T11:46:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}