The Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay opened the debate on a charge against President Santiago Peña on Thursday, 5 November 2026 in Asunción. This initiative can lead to a removal procedure in the Senate. She intervened after Ueno Bank was put into resolution, at the heart of a crisis that now reached the presidency.
The Head of State was not dismissed. Members must first decide whether they are forwarding the charge to the upper house. The meeting began in the morning, while several officials of the Colorado Party, the presidential party, requested the departure of Santiago Peña.
Paraguay: Charges related to Ueno Bank
Thirty-five Members tabled the text on 4 November. A second document is addressed separately to Vice-President Pedro Alliana. In particular, the signatories accuse Santiago Peña of a conflict of interest related to his interests in Ueno Holding. They also contest the appointment of Carlos Carvallo, former President of Financiala Ueno, as head of the central bank.
Their grievances also concern changes to the conflict of interest legislation and the investments of the Social Security Institute in Ueno Bank. They accuse the President of letting these deposits exceed regulatory limits. These are the charges brought before Members, not the facts established by a conviction.
The Speaker of the Chamber, Raúl Latorre, stated on Thursday that Santiago Peña considers himself innocent and intends to defend himself in this procedure.
Two separate votes before possible dismissal
Article 225 of the Constitution entrusts deputies with the indictment, by a two-thirds majority. The Senate must then try those responsible in open court. An absolute two-thirds majority is required to find them guilty and to exclude them from their duties. Any criminal offences fall under ordinary justice.
The central bank decided on 2 November to open a resolution procedure at Ueno Bank and then announced the following day. It found a solvency ratio of less than half the minimum required, after correction of the accounts. It presents this case as a case specific to that institution, not as a general insolvency of the Paraguayan banking system.
At the opening of the debate, the immediate issue remains the vote of Members on the transfer of the charge to the Senate.
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