Paraguay swears in Alliana after Senate removes Peña over bank collapse
Paraguay’s Senate removed President Santiago Peña on 6 November over the Ueno Bank collapse; Vice President Pedro Alliana was sworn in, and prosecutors placed Peña under house arrest, according to AFP, AP and the Senate.
Paraguay’s Senate removed President Santiago Peña on 6 November after finding him guilty of poor performance of his duties linked to the collapse of Ueno Bank, with 44 of 45 senators present voting for removal, according to the Senate and AFP.
Vice President Pedro Alliana, 52, was sworn in the same evening as president to complete the 2023–2028 term. Antonio Barrios was later chosen as vice president, the Senate said.
Prosecutors ordered Peña placed under house arrest while economic-crime investigators examine the case; Peña has denied wrongdoing. The bank failure left a large share of savers without access to their accounts this week.
Alliana took the oath at a solemn joint session of both chambers of Congress, chaired by Congress president Basilio Núñez. In his speech he promised immediate action to compensate savers affected by the bank collapse, said transparency would be non-negotiable and added: ‘I don’t want anyone lukewarm in this mission, I want results.’ Lawmakers unanimously elected Antonio Barrios as vice president, and Guadalupe Aveiro took his Senate seat, according to the Senate.