In brief
The joint session of Paraguay’s Congress could not secure a quorum, leaving President Santiago Peña’s resignation unapproved and him officially in power. The lower house approved impeachment charges and the Senate is poised to proceed, while Peña vowed to appear before the Senate. The crisis stems from the bankruptcy of digital lender Ueno Bank, which left millions of customers unable to access their accounts.
In a developing story from Asuncion, Paraguay, President Santiago Peña remains formally in office after a joint session of Congress failed to approve his resignation, Xinhua reported at 13:45 UTC on Wednesday, November 6.
During Thursday’s joint sitting, lawmakers from the ruling Colorado Party walked out to halt the vote, and the session was suspended for lack of a quorum, the agency noted.
Earlier during the day, the Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved impeachment charges against Peña, citing mounting pressure over the collapse of digital lender Ueno Bank, a move that the Senate President, Basilio Núñez, said would be followed by formal impeachment proceedings.
Peña responded on social media, saying he would appear before the Senate and “exercise his right to defend himself,” a statement that has been confirmed by Xinhua.
The crisis was triggered when Ueno Bank declared insolvency, leaving millions of customers unable to access their accounts; this has fueled political turmoil and the push for Peña’s resignation.
