In brief
TASS reports that 44 senators voted to impeach President Santiago Peña for his alleged ties to the banking scandal that froze 3 million accounts. An extraordinary session of both chambers followed, during which Vice President Pedro Alliana was sworn in as the new president. The impeachment followed earlier actions by the lower house and the Central Bank’s external administration of Ueno Bank.
On July 17, 2014, the upper house of Paraguay’s Congress voted to remove President Santiago Peña following the collapse of Ueno Bank, which had frozen the accounts of about three million customers; Vice President Pedro Alliana was then sworn in as the new head of state in a joint session of both chambers.
TASS reported that the Senate’s impeachment vote resulted in 44 votes in favor of declaring Peña guilty of improper performance of official duties, with one senator absent.
The vote was described by TASS as a removal under the law, with Alliana slated to assume the presidency."44 votes were cast in favor of issuing a guilty verdict; one senator was absent." – Chairman Basilio Nunez
The extraordinary session that followed was broadcast on the Chamber of Senators’ YouTube channel. TASS noted that Alliana “took the oath of office ... in the presence of members of both chambers of parliament.” The oath was delivered in a ceremony that followed the impeachment vote without a break.
Context for the impeachment came from the broader turmoil in Paraguay’s banking system. The Central Bank imposed external administration on Ueno Bank on November 3, freezing its accounts. An earlier vote by the Chamber of Deputies on October 5 had launched the impeachment process against Peña, with supporters of his removal accusing him of a conflict of interest due to alleged ties with the bank.
In a separate note, TASS highlighted that Peña had announced a resignation the day before the Senate vote, but a lack of quorum meant that Congress could not hold a vote to accept or reject his resignation. The constitution, as cited by TASS, stipulates that all former presidents become life senators, except when they are impeached.
The swift sequence of impeachment and swearing‑in underscores a rapid shift in Paraguay’s executive leadership amid an acute financial crisis, with the new president facing the challenge of restoring confidence in the banking system and the broader economy.
