Protesters gathered outside the Paraguayan Congress in Asunción on Thursday to demand that the legislature complete the impeachment process against former President Santiago Peña. The demonstrators called for Peña to be stripped of his lifetime senatorial immunity so that he could face criminal charges related to the collapse of Ueno Bank, a private institution that had received substantial public funds during his administration. Earlier that day, the National Congress approved the impeachment request unanimously and forwarded the case to the Senate for final judgment. Peña had resigned from the presidency hours before the session, but the protesters argued that accepting his resignation would automatically grant him the status of a lifetime senator, a privilege protected by Article 189 of the Paraguayan Constitution unless the individual has been impeached and found guilty. “We do not want his resignation to be accepted, because if it is, he would be shielded as a lifetime senator,” said activist María Stela Invernizzi to EFE. “We want him to answer to justice for this serious wrongdoing committed by him and his associates.” Invernizzi added that a lifetime senator enjoys immunity and cannot be prosecuted without Senate approval. The Ueno Bank was ordered by the Central Bank of Paraguay to undergo a resolution or closure process on Tuesday after its solvency ratio fell below the required 50 % threshold. The bank served 2.9 million customers in a country of 6.1 million people. During Peña’s tenure, Ueno received millions of dollars from public institutions, including the Instituto de Previsión Social (IPS), which manages pensions for most workers, and other official bodies. Civilian protester Cristian Domínguez, who said he was “indignated” by the bank’s dissolution, accused Peña of being “responsible” for the crisis. “He has to go to jail,” Domínguez demanded. He also called for the recovery of the public funds invested in Ueno and the release of deposits that had been frozen. The Senate is now expected to decide whether to complete the impeachment proceedings and remove Peña’s immunity, allowing him to be prosecuted for the alleged mismanagement that led to Ueno Bank’s collapse.
Article source: De Ultimo Minuto | Image credit: De Ultimo Minuto