Paraguay's Senate removed President Santiago Peña from office after impeachment

The Senate removed the president from office

The Senate of Paraguay approved the impeachment of President Santiago Peña and removed him from office. The announcement of the decision was made by the president of the upper chamber, Basilio Núñez, during a session broadcast on the parliament's official YouTube channel. 44 senators voted to find the head of state guilty, while one parliamentarian was absent. Peña was found guilty of improper performance of his official duties, and the removal decision took effect under the law.

The cause — a banking scandal

The proceedings took place against the backdrop of a crisis surrounding Ueno Bank: after problems with the financial institution, about three million customers faced frozen accounts and lost access to their funds. The situation caused a wide public outcry and escalated into a political crisis. The claims against Peña concerned his actions in connection with the banking scandal: opponents raised the question of a possible conflict of interest and of the authorities' responsibility for the situation surrounding the financial institution.

Who will take the post of president

After Peña's removal, Vice President Pedro Aliana will take his place: a broadcast of a joint session of Congress, at which he is to take the oath and complete the constitutional term running until 2028, is scheduled on the Senate's YouTube channel. Notably, the removal took place after the president himself had already announced his resignation during a parliamentary session: the Chamber of Deputies nevertheless voted unanimously to begin the impeachment procedure, receiving 78 votes. The 47-year-old Santiago Peña Palacios took the helm of Paraguay in 2023, succeeding Mario Abdo Benítez in the post.