Paraguay's Senate impeaches President Pena over bank crisis, places him under house arrest

Paraguay's Senate impeached President Santiago Pena on Friday over a banking crisis that locked nearly half the country out of their accounts, and authorities immediately placed him under house arrest. Pedro Alliana, the former vice president, was sworn in as his successor. Senators voted 44-1 to remove Pena, declaring him guilty of poor performance after the collapse of Ueno Bank, where he previously held a stake. Prosecutor Silvia Margarita Gonzalez Vester said Pena will face questioning over alleged breach of trust, influence peddling, and misappropriation of funds. Alliana promised full compensation for the nearly three million affected depositors. The crisis has triggered days of protests, with demonstrators demanding their money back and Pena's imprisonment. The scandal also led to the dismissal of the Central Bank president and interior minister, arrests of eight Ueno executives, and suspensions of 1,000 workers at a related technology firm.