Paraguayan President Santiago Peña asked the Senate for an additional 72 hours to prepare his defense in impeachment proceedings. (Foto: Instagram)
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has asked the Senate for an additional 72 hours to prepare his defense in impeachment proceedings, arguing that the time allowed is insufficient. The Senate was scheduled to resume consideration of the case Friday, Nov. 6, after the Chamber of Deputies approved the process despite Peña’s request to resign. The proceedings unfold amid a crisis linked to the closure of Ueno Bank, which affected millions of people.
Peña said he received notice of the charges at 10:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. The notice included a 15-page accusation and more than 300 pages of attachments, according to his request. He argued that having less than 12 hours to prepare a defense would be insufficient under democratic rule-of-law standards. The Senate session was initially scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Friday.
The Senate heard from seven deputies who presented the allegations against Peña on Thursday. He is accused of having a conflict of interest by favoring Grupo Vázquez, which controls Ueno Bank. Peña was a shareholder in the group until March 2025. He also faces accusations that he failed to ensure proper oversight by the Central Bank of Paraguay. Carlos Carvallo, the central bank’s previous president, led the digital bank until 2023.
Other allegations concern the impact of the Ueno Bank crisis on confidence in the financial system and a purported improper intervention involving the IPS, the institution that administers workers’ pensions and health care. Ueno Bank managed nearly 4.5 billion Brazilian reais in public funds, including pension resources. These claims remain allegations in the impeachment case.
Peña, 47, was elected president in April 2023 after defeating opposition candidate Efraín Alegre. He belongs to the Colorado Party, a right-wing party that has been a major force in Paraguayan politics for decades and is historically associated with conservative and nationalist positions. Peña succeeded Mario Abdo Benítez, who is also a member of the party. Peña belongs to the party’s Cartes-aligned faction, associated with former President Horacio Cartes, who backed his candidacy.
