Pedro Alliana sworn in as Paraguay president after Santiago Pena impeachment

Pedro Alliana has been sworn in as the 53rd president of Paraguay following the impeachment of Santiago Pena. According to DW and Al Jazeera, the Paraguayan Senate voted overwhelmingly on Friday to remove Pena from office over misconduct linked to a banking crisis. Euronews and Al Jazeera reported that the 52-year-old Alliana, who served as vice president under Pena since 2023, was immediately sworn in to succeed him. [1][2][4][12]

Outlets including Euronews and DW reported that Pena was placed under house arrest in the capital, Asuncion, following his dismissal. Al Jazeera noted that 44 senators in the 45-member chamber voted to impeach Pena, while one senator abstained. Pena's removal came after the collapse of Ueno Bank froze deposits for millions of customers. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the Paraguayan central bank took control of Ueno Bank after its mobile application shut down, freezing the accounts of nearly three million people. [1][2][4][14][15]

Euronews reported that the bank collapse froze savings for half of Paraguay's adult population, while DW reported that public pension and healthcare funds were also tied up. Alliana pledged to address the crisis before his term ends in August 2028. Grokipedia details that Alliana promised full compensation to affected savers, ordered remedial action, and announced plans to introduce a bill to reduce public spending. [1][4][13]

Alliana is a former national team basketball player who previously led the Colorado Party. He served as governor of the Neembucu department from 2008 to 2013, as a national deputy from 2013 to 2023, and as president of the Chamber of Deputies from 2019 to 2022. He assumes the presidency as Pena's tenure ends abruptly three years into his term. [1][2][10][12]