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Thousands of protesters gathered outside the Paraguayan Congress in Asunción on Thursday to support an impeachment hearing against President Santiago Peña. The demonstrators, estimated by police at around 5,000 people, demanded the president’s removal and the return of deposits frozen by the collapse of Ueno Bank, which left nearly three million Paraguayans—about half the population—without access to their savings. The protest was part of a three‑night campaign that also drew crowds to other cities, including Ciudad del Este. Participants carried homemade signs with slogans such as “Robbery is a crime only for the poor” and “Your resignation does not matter, return the money.” Some chants included “Out, Santi Peña, return the money.” “My family lost all our money, we have no cash. Santi is a criminal and must go to jail,” said 21‑year‑old student Andrés Maldonado, according to AFP. Another protester, 26‑year‑old Mariano Giménez, added, “I came here to see Santiago Peña in jail because he stole from the people and lied to us. I hope the political trial sends him to prison.” Police reported clashes between the demonstrators and security forces. In some areas the protest remained peaceful, while in others tensions escalated, prompting the use of tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds. The police had previously deployed similar measures on Wednesday. President Peña has submitted his resignation, but the Congress has suspended it pending the impeachment process, leaving him in a provisional position. The impeachment hearing is scheduled to take place in the extraordinary session of the Chamber of Deputies. The unrest follows the Central Bank’s intervention on November 3, when it halted access to deposits at Ueno Bank, a financial institution linked to Peña. The bank’s collapse prompted the resignation of the Central Bank’s head, Carlos Carvallo, and has intensified public anger over the crisis. Article source: El Comercio | Image credit: El Comercio
Thousands of protesters gathered outside the Paraguayan Congress in Asunción on Thursday to support an impeachment hearing against President Santiago Peña. The demonstrators, estimated by police at around 5,000 people, demanded the president’s removal and the return of deposits frozen by the collapse of Ueno Bank, which left nearly three million Paraguayans—about half the population—without access to their savings. The protest was part of a three‑night campaign that also drew crowds to other cities, including Ciudad del Este. Participants carried homemade signs with slogans such as “Robbery is a crime only for the poor” and “Your resignation does not matter, return the money.” Some chants included “Out, Santi Peña, return the money.” “My family lost all our money, we have no cash. Santi is a criminal and must go to jail,” said 21‑year‑old student Andrés Maldonado, according to AFP. Another protester, 26‑year‑old Mariano Giménez, added, “I came here to see Santiago Peña in jail because he stole from the people and lied to us. I hope the political trial sends him to prison.” Police reported clashes between the demonstrators and security forces. In some areas the protest remained peaceful, while in others tensions escalated, prompting the use of tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds. The police had previously deployed similar measures on Wednesday. President Peña has submitted his resignation, but the Congress has suspended it pending the impeachment process, leaving him in a provisional position. The impeachment hearing is scheduled to take place in the extraordinary session of the Chamber of Deputies. The unrest follows the Central Bank’s intervention on November 3, when it halted access to deposits at Ueno Bank, a financial institution linked to Peña. The bank’s collapse prompted the resignation of the Central Bank’s head, Carlos Carvallo, and has intensified public anger over the crisis.
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