Paraguay's Ex-President Peña Under House Arrest After Impeachment
Santiago Peña began serving house arrest on Friday (6), hours after Paraguay's Senate removed him from the presidency via impeachment. The former president's detention was ordered by the Public Ministry amid a criminal investigation into financial irregularities involving Ueno Bank. The Senate approved Peña's impeachment by 44 votes to zero, making him the second democratically elected president removed by this procedure since Paraguay's redemocratization in 1989. Prosecutors also ordered the arrest of former Central Bank president Carlos Carvallo, with both facing investigation over suspected breach of trust and other crimes linked to the bank's collapse. Peña denies interfering in banking oversight or participating in financial wrongdoing. The investigation examines Ueno Bank's receipt of hundreds of millions of dollars from state agencies during his government, including social security funds. Peña lost his immunity and the possibility of becoming a lifetime senator due to the impeachment.