In brief
President Santiago Peña will stay in office because a joint congressional session failed to approve his resignation, citing insufficient quorum. A vote on impeachment charges, led by a unanimous Chamber of Deputies decision, will proceed in the Senate. The outcome remains uncertain as the process continues.
President Santiago Peña will remain in office after a joint session of Asuncion’s Congress failed to complete a vote on his resignation, according to Xinhua. The vote, held on Thursday, collapsed into a deadlock when lawmakers from the ruling Colorado Party walked out, preventing a quorum and halting the decision.
Earlier that day, the Chamber of Deputies passed impeachment charges against Peña with a unanimous vote, citing the political turmoil triggered by the collapse of digital lender Ueno Bank. The bank’s failure left millions of customers unable to access their accounts, fueling mounting pressure on Peña to step down.
Senate President Basilio Nunez announced that the upper house would proceed with the impeachment process. Peña has said in a statement on social media that he would appear before the Senate and exercise his right to defend himself.
Peña’s resignation, announced that same Thursday, was never formally accepted by Congress. As a result, he remains officially in office while the impeachment proceedings move forward in the Senate.
The joint session’s abandonment over the lack of quorum highlights the fragmented political landscape in Paraguay, with the Colorado Party’s withdrawal indicating deep internal divisions over the president’s future.
The Senate is scheduled to review the charge sheet and vote on impeachment measures, but no timeline for a potential trial or removal has been set. The outcome of the impeachment process and whether the Senate will ultimately confirm Peña’s resignation remain unsettled.
While the formal impeachment proceedings have begun, the legal and constitutional steps required to actually remove Peña are still pending. It is unclear whether the Senate will ultimately adopt the charges or if further negotiations and votes will be necessary to determine the president’s fate.
