Politics1 min read

Paraguay's president is impeached minutes after resigning following a bank collapse

By · Via NPR · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Paraguay's lower house voted unanimously, 78-0, to impeach President Santiago Peña just moments after he posted a resignation video on X. The crisis erupted when Ueno Bank, an institution holding roughly $800 million in state deposits and serving over 60% of adult citizens, collapsed due to reckless practices. Although Peña stepped down claiming to protect democratic institutions, he had previously ignored regulatory warnings about unlawful insider lending and installed an ally to head the central bank. The formal conviction proceedings now advance to the Senate, which requires a two-thirds majority to officially remove him.

Key points

  • Vice President Pedro Alliana is slated to assume the presidency and complete the current…: Vice President Pedro Alliana is slated to assume the presidency and complete the current term ending in August 2028.
  • The impeachment charges against Peña require a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate for…: The impeachment charges against Peña require a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate for a formal conviction.
  • Lawmakers from Peña's own Colorado Party abandoned the president following three days of…: Lawmakers from Peña's own Colorado Party abandoned the president following three days of nationwide protests over frozen finances.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay — Paraguay's lower house voted unanimously Thursday to impeach President Santiago Peña just minutes after he announced his resignation, as the collapse of a major digital bank tied to his government froze millions of people's savings, sent protesters surging into the streets and turned his own party against him.

The 78-0 vote marked a stunning repudiation of Peña by lawmakers from his long-ruling Colorado Party, who joined the opposition in backing his impeachment after three days of demonstrations rocked the capital, Asunción. The vote sends the charges to the Senate, where a two-thirds majority is required to convict the president and formally remove him from office.

The impeachment came as thousands protested for a third day, as they attempt to recoup lost savings, wages and pensions from Ueno Bank, a major digital lender.

Peña, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, announced his decision in a video posted to X as lawmakers debated his impeachment, saying he was stepping down in the interest of "the stability of our country, social peace and the need to preserve our…

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