Former Paraguayan President Santiago Peña was expelled from the Colorado Party on Nov. 10. The party’s Conduct Tribunal cited alleged misconduct and harm to its principles. (Foto: Instagram)
Paraguay’s former president Santiago Peña was expelled from the Colorado Party on Tuesday, Nov. 10. The decision was made by the Conduct Tribunal of the National Republican Association, which held him responsible for conduct it said harmed the party.
In its ruling, the tribunal said Peña’s actions as president had compromised the party’s ideological and moral principles. It also cited the impeachment approved by Paraguay’s Congress on Nov. 6 and allegations of administrative misconduct. The tribunal said the cited circumstances warranted ethical and party accountability.
The decision removes Peña from the party and directs that a copy of the resolution be sent to its leadership and electoral tribunal. The ruling also said the conduct attributed to Peña had harmed the Paraguayan people and damaged the party’s image.
The expulsion came amid a political crisis linked to Ueno Bank. The Senate approved Peña’s impeachment by 44 votes, with one abstention. The process had been opened by the Chamber of Deputies the previous day, after Peña submitted a resignation request. Congress called a joint session to consider the request, but the vote did not take place because there were not enough members present. After the impeachment, then-Vice President Pedro Alliana assumed the presidency.
Peña is accused of involvement in irregularities in the allocation of public funds and of interfering with oversight of Ueno Bank. The allegations also implicated members of Paraguay’s financial system. Peña was arrested on Nov. 6, initially under a house-arrest order. On Nov. 7, a judge ordered his preventive detention at the request of Paraguay’s public prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors also charged former Central Bank president Carlos Carvallo and sought to keep both men in detention.
