Former Paraguay president Santiago Peña detained at home following removal from office
Paraguay's National Police arrested former president Santiago Peña at his residence after being removed from office by the Senate in an impeachment trial.
Former president Peña arrested at home following impeachment trial in Paraguay
Paraguay's National Police confirmed on Friday that former president Santiago Peña was officially placed under house arrest, hours after the Senate removed him from office through an impeachment trial. According to lanacion.cl, the detention was carried out by order of the Public Prosecutor's Office in the context of the crisis sparked by the emptying of Ueno bank.
"He is now officially detained, he has just been notified and informed that he will officially remain under house arrest," said a police official to journalists gathered outside Peña's residence, in statements reported by EFE.
The prosecutor in the case, Silvia González, confirmed to the media that Peña "is in his home and has placed himself at the disposal of the authorities". The arrest order establishes that house detention will be maintained until he is placed at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor's Office in the Unit of Economic Crimes and Anti-Corruption in Asunción.
The Public Prosecutor's Office order also includes the detention of Carlos Carvallo Spalding, who headed the Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP) until last Tuesday, when he resigned due to the scandal over the emptying of Ueno bank.
The previous day, the Public Prosecutor's Office had announced that it would bring the then president into investigations of three criminal cases opened regarding Ueno bank, which also involve other former officials from his administration. A group of congressmen broadened a complaint filed in October 2025 against Peña to include "matters relating to" the supervision and resolution procedure of Ueno, the incorporation of public funds into that entity, and questions about the conduct of BCP authorities.
Images from local television showed around twenty agents guarding Peña's residence, whilst some protesters demanded his imprisonment that same night.
Source: Google News CL — Santiago