Paraguay Deputies Advance Impeachment After Peña Resigns

Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved impeachment proceedings against President Santiago Peña on November 5, hours after he announced his resignation as a banking crisis left millions of Ueno Bank customers unable to access their deposits. The motion, approved by 78 votes, was sent to the Senate, while Congress did not reach a decision on whether to accept Peña’s resignation, leaving his status unsettled. Peña announced in a social-media video that he was submitting his resignation. He said he wanted to preserve stability, social peace and democratic institutions, and that his priority was the welfare of people whose savings were affected. He also said he would appear in the Senate proceedings to defend himself. Reports on the congressional session differ: some say lawmakers put the resignation on hold after an extraordinary session failed to reach a quorum, while another says Congress accepted it and Pedro Alliana took office. The transfer of power therefore remains unclear. The Senate impeachment process was reported as scheduled to begin Friday, November 6; its outcome was not established in the reports. The political crisis followed the Central Bank of...