Paraguay's Senate removes President Peña amid Ueno Bank collapse and protests
Paraguay's Senate voted unanimously Friday to remove President Santiago Peña from office, following his impeachment by the lower house and a criminal investigation into his alleged ties to the collapsed Ueno Bank. He was placed under house arrest as protests intensified. The ouster stems from Ueno Bank's shutdown earlier this week, which froze savings for millions of Paraguayans and sparked widespread protests. Lawmakers rejected Peña's resignation to deny him immunity, and Vice President Pedro Alliana was sworn in to serve the remainder of his term. Peña, a close ally of former US President Donald Trump, allegedly owned a stake in the bank's parent company before divesting last year. The crisis marks Paraguay's biggest political upheaval since 2012, with the central bank chief resigning and the bank's owner arrested.