Paraguay swears in new president as Pena is put under house arrest

• Pedro Alliana was sworn in as Paraguay’s new President after a unanimous Senate vote removed Santiago Pena over links to the collapsed digital bank ueno.
• Prosecutors put Pena under house arrest and may charge him with influence peddling, while the police guarded his home and protesters demanded accountability.
• The ueno collapse froze savings for many people, including pensioners, and raised fears of unrest and wider financial risk, with Brazil watching closely.

ASUNCION, Paraguay – Pedro Alliana was sworn in as Paraguay’s new President on Nov 6 just as the authorities put his impeached predecessor Santiago Pena under house arrest, the latest developments in a fast-moving political and financial crisis triggered by the collapse of a digital bank.

Prosecutors speaking outside Pena’s house in Asuncion said charges were still being determined but could include influence peddling. Pena was ordered to appear at the prosecutor’s office on the morning of Nov 7.

Pena was ousted from the presidency about an hour beforehand in a unanimous Senate vote, with lawmakers citing questions over his past links to the collapsed digital bank ueno that had provided accounts for nearly half of Paraguay’s population.

Although Pena offered his resignation on Nov 5, the Senate chose to finalise the impeachment process rather than accept, and swiftly moved to install his second-in-command, Alliana.

By the time of his arrest, dozens of protesters had gathered outside Pena’s residence. The police installed a security cordon around the property.

The turmoil began earlier this week when Paraguay’s central bank intervened in ueno, whose customers include many people who had not previously had access to a bank account.

The bank had grown rapidly since launching in 2021. But questions had emerged over ueno’s lending practises and its ties to Paraguay’s political and financial elite – including Pena, who until 2025 was a shareholder in ueno’s holding company, and the central bank chief Carlos Carvallo, who had headed ueno until 2023.

Prosecutors on Nov 6 also issued an arrest warrant for Carvallo, who resigned earlier this week as the authorities launched last-ditch proceedings to prevent the lender dissolving. Eight former ueno executives have already been detained.

Others from Pena’s inner circle also resigned, including his interior minister, chief of staff and two advisers.

The impeachment charges that led to his removal alleged that Pena had conflicts of interest, manipulated regulatory oversight, diverted pension funds and participated in an institutional cover-up involving the central bank.

Pena denied any wrongdoing and said the affair was a regulatory issue. The central bank has denied any conflict of interest, saying Carvallo recused himself from all decisions related to ueno.

Frozen access to funds

The political crisis has spilt onto the streets, with demonstrators flocking to downtown Asuncion demanding accountability for ueno’s collapse and faster compensation for depositors whose savings remain frozen.

Small groups of protesters gathered opposite the headquarters of the central bank on Nov 6, chanting “We want our money”.

Those who have been unable to access their accounts include pensioners who receive state benefits through ueno. Pena earlier this week approved legislation to help accelerate payments to affected depositors and some account holders began recovering their money on Nov 5.

Prospects for a lengthy political transition have drawn attention from investors, especially in neighbouring Brazil, Paraguay’s largest economic partner. Regulators have sought to reassure markets by guaranteeing most deposits and containing risks to the wider financial system.

A Brazilian government source told Reuters that Brazil’s immediate concern was avoiding social instability in Paraguay and ensuring the banking crisis is resolved without triggering wider unrest.

“Protests over frozen savings will intensify if Pena’s exit appears to grant him impunity or if payouts to depositors and pensioners stall,” said Mariano Machado, Americas principal analyst at Verisk Maplecroft. REUTERS