Senators demanded that Peña present his defense within 30 minutes.
On Friday, the Paraguayan Senate summoned President Santiago Peña to appear immediately before the legislature to face impeachment proceedings after rejecting a postponement request.
RELATED: Six Ueno Bank Executives Sent to Pretrial Detention in Paraguay Probe
The upper house overwhelmingly rejected the request for a 72-hour extension. With 42 votes against and only three in favor, the senators demanded that Peña present his defense within 30 minutes.
The president maintained that the time granted by Congress was insufficient to adequately prepare his appearance. He also asserted that limiting his defense to just 12 hours “violated” due process guarantees.
In a letter published on social media, Peña assured the public that he would present his “version” of events. The president insisted that he would not evade his responsibilities despite the gravity of the political situation.
Daughter of right-wing Paraguay president Santiago Peña, who just resigned over crashing the economy and stealing half the country’s savings, posted this story of herself with a shirt saying “Tax the Poor.”
She goes to Columbia U btw, where tuition is 20x the average salary. pic.twitter.com/HPdGsX9WGi
— Joseph Bouchard (@GeopolWonk) November 6, 2026
Despite having submitted his resignation, Peña formally remains in the presidency because Congress did not accept it. The Constitution stipulates that former presidents can become senators for life, unless they are impeached and found guilty.
The crisis erupted following the intervention of Ueno Bank by the Central Bank of Paraguay. The financial institution managed substantial public funds during Peña’s administration and was politically linked to the president.
According to monetary authorities, the bank’s solvency ratio fell below the minimum required after adjustments made during a financial regularization process. The institution managed funds for more than 2.9 million clients.
#Paraguay | Lawmakers voted 78–0 to approve impeachment charges against former President Santiago Peña following his resignation amid the Ueno Bank scandal. The case now heads to the Senate for trial.#SantiagoPeña #Impeachment #UenoBank #teleSUREnglish pic.twitter.com/zovUSNGqZa
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) November 5, 2026
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE
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