Santiago Peña arrest order in Paraguay after Senate impeachment over Ueno Bank

Prosecutors in Paraguay ordered the arrest of former president Santiago Peña Palacios on Friday, 6 November 2026, hours after the Senate removed him from office through impeachment. The warrant was issued in Asunción in the investigation of the Ueno Bank collapse, which the Central Bank of Paraguay had moved to liquidate on Tuesday, 3 November.

The order also calls for the arrest of Carlos Dagoberto Carvallo Spalding, former president of the Central Bank of Paraguay. Under the order, Peña must remain at his home until he is placed at the disposal of the Public Ministry’s Specialized Unit for Economic Crimes and Anticorruption.

Peña held at home as his whereabouts became clear

Earlier reports said the government did not know where Peña was, and rumors that he had fled to Argentina were denied by Buenos Aires. Later reports changed that picture, with the Associated Press saying the attorney general’s office confirmed he had been detained at his residence. The AP also said it was not immediately clear whether Carvallo had been taken into custody.

The order was sent to the command of the National Police of Paraguay for enforcement. Infobae reported that agents and prosecutors went to Peña’s house to serve the warrant, and that he told them he would submit to the process.

Ueno Bank case rests on breach of trust and influence peddling

Prosecutors are investigating the bank collapse on suspicion of breach of trust and other possible crimes. Prosecutor Christian Benítez said that, at this preliminary stage, the offenses under review include breach of trust, influence peddling and self-serving administration, and that these classifications may change as evidence is analyzed.

The Diário do Centro do Mundo cited four prosecutors by name: Elena Fiore, Christian Benítez, Silvia González Véster and Ruth Karina Benítez. Revista Fórum did not say how many prosecutors signed the order, and according to that outlet the warrant does not amount to a conviction. The Associated Press reported that prosecutors have charged 27 people, including Ueno’s controlling shareholder, Miguel Vázquez.

The opposition accused Peña of conflict of interest, manipulation of banking rules, diversion of social security funds and alleged institutional cover-up by the Central Bank. Those accusations have not yet led to formal measures, according to the material reviewed.

Senate votes to remove Peña after he tried to resign

Peña submitted his resignation before the impeachment process ended, but it depended on acceptance by Congress, and Congress did not accept it. He did not attend the Senate session, and his lawyers, Adolfo Ferreiro and Ricardo Preda, represented him instead.

Reports differ on the vote count. CNN said 44 of the 45 senators voted in favor, the Associated Press said all 44 senators present voted for removal, and Metrópoles described the vote as unanimous. The Senate rejected a request from Peña for 72 more hours to prepare his defense.

The Chamber of Deputies had voted 78 to zero on Thursday, 5 November, to start the impeachment. Deputy Rocío Vallejo held the president responsible for the crisis during the session. Vice president Pedro Alliana was sworn in as president on Friday night and will serve through August 2028, while protesters in Asunción asked for the return of frozen deposits and for the president to leave office.

What the arrest order requires and when Peña must appear

• Questioning: Saturday, 7 November, at 11:00, at the Public Ministry headquarters
• Detention status: house arrest, which prosecutors described as a temporary measure
• Next court step: the Criminal Guarantees Court on duty will hold a hearing on precautionary measures and the final place of detention
• Legal status: the arrest order is not a conviction for the facts under investigation

Liquidation of Ueno Bank cut off customers from savings and cards

The Central Bank of Paraguay ordered the liquidation of Ueno Bank on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. Revista Fórum said the measure affected 3 million clients, almost half of the country’s population. The Associated Press put the figure at nearly 3 million customers, while Infobae cited 2.94 million clients in a country of 6.1 million inhabitants.

Stakes and deposits Peña declared in 2023

In 2023, Peña declared shares in Ueno Holding worth 6.144 billion guaranis, according to the Diário do Centro do Mundo. That report said he sold the stake in April 2025, and that he also declared a certificate of deposit of 2.4 billion guaranis at Ueno Bank.

A brother of Peña appears as a partner in U Holding SARL, the company through which the group would control Ueno, according to the same report. The original complaint against Peña in the case was filed on 22 October 2022.

Points still unresolved for Peña, Carvallo and Alliana

Reports did not settle whether Carvallo had been detained, and the Public Ministry has not said whether it will file a formal charge beyond the arrest order. Opposition protesters asked that Alliana also be investigated, but no confirmation has come that this will happen.

Al Jazeera reported that the Chamber of Deputies declined to open impeachment hearings against Alliana.