Paraguayan President Santiago Peña said he would cooperate with authorities investigating the collapse of Ueno Bank as lawmakers considered his resignation. (Foto: Instagram)
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña said Thursday, Nov. 5, that he would make himself available to authorities to answer questions about his relationship to the scandal involving Ueno Bank. He posted the statement on X as Congress considered a request concerning his resignation. Peña had announced hours earlier that he would leave the presidency, amid the advance of an impeachment effort in Congress.
The political crisis followed Ueno Bank’s collapse. The institution, one of Paraguay’s major digital banks, had its operations suspended by the country’s central bank. In a letter to the Paraguayan public, Peña said he intended to exercise his right to a defense and cooperate with institutions investigating the matter.
Peña said he would provide information requested by authorities so the facts could be clarified and responsibility determined. He also said anyone found to have broken the law should answer to the courts. “I will fully cooperate with the appropriate institutions to clarify what happened, establish responsibility and ensure that anyone who violated the law is held accountable,” he wrote.
The president argued that customers affected by the banking crisis should be reimbursed regardless of the outcome of the political process against him. He said debate over whether he remains in office should not delay steps needed to help families recover their deposits. “I want to make one thing very clear: repayment to depositors cannot be left unresolved based on what happens to me,” he said. “The debate over whether I remain in office cannot halt the solutions affected families need.”
Peña said his priority had been to advance, within the law and in coordination with the responsible institutions, measures to help depositors recover their money. In the letter, he said clarifying the events and addressing repayments were obligations that should proceed at the same time, and that one should not be used to postpone the other.
He also called for calm and peace, saying public concerns deserved to be heard and addressed with respect, clear information and concrete action. Peña said he would act responsibly and in accordance with the Constitution regardless of the process’s outcome, and that his personal fate did not take precedence over Paraguay. He described his commitment as being to the truth, the country’s institutions and Paraguayan families.
