Asunción, Paraguay — Paraguay’s Senate opened an impeachment trial against President Santiago Peña after the collapse of Ueno Bank. Peña submitted his resignation Thursday, but a joint session of Congress lost its quorum before it could act on it, EFE reported.
Why the trial is going ahead
The lower house unanimously approved the accusations, according to ABC Color. The case concerns Peña’s conduct in office and his links to the lender. Peña asked senators for 72 hours to prepare his defence, EFE reported. A submitted resignation and a completed transfer of power are separate steps.
Senator Lilian Samaniego argued that accepting the resignation would have allowed judicial authorities to seek the lifting of Peña’s immunity.
The Associated Press reported that prosecutors had announced a separate criminal investigation involving Peña. The Senate trial concerns whether he should remain in office; the criminal inquiry examines potential offences. Neither proceeding by itself establishes criminal guilt.
Deposit payments begin
Paraguay’s central bank began paying deposit guarantees Thursday, EFE reported. The start of payments is a concrete change for customers who were unable to access their accounts. It does not mean every balance is available in full.
For the background on the intervention and the guarantee limit, see our original Ueno Bank report.
This Spanish-language report covers Peña’s resignation announcement. Congress had yet to accept the resignation when the Senate opened its trial.
