Paraguay's Senate Ousts President Peña Over Banking Scandal

Paraguay's Senate voted Friday to remove President Santiago Peña from office and place him under house arrest, following his refusal to resign amid a banking crisis that left millions of depositors unable to recover their funds. The public prosecutor later issued an arrest warrant for the ousted leader. The central bank's Tuesday takeover of Banco Ueno, a bank Peña previously had ties to, froze deposits for roughly 3 million people, half the population, including retirees, sparking angry protests nationwide. Lawmakers unanimously voted Thursday to begin impeachment proceedings, accusing the president of misconduct and conflicts of interest, after his resignation attempt was rejected. Peña, who sold his shares in the bank's parent group last year, apologized in a video but maintained he never intended to betray public trust. The opposition insisted on impeachment rather than accepting his resignation, which would have granted him lifetime Senate immunity. Vice President Pedro Aliana was sworn in as his successor.