Paraguayan President Santiago Peña will remain in office after a joint session of Congress on Thursday failed to approve his resignation because no quorum was reached. Lawmakers from the ruling Colorado Party walked out during the vote, preventing a decision on the resignation. Sources confirm the joint sitting was suspended and Congress has yet to accept Peña’s resignation.
The Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, unanimously approved impeachment charges against Peña earlier that day. The impeachment follows a political crisis triggered by the collapse of digital lender Ueno Bank, which left millions of customers unable to access their accounts. Sources confirm the House voted and Senate President Basilio Nunez announced that the upper house would proceed with the impeachment process.
Peña said in a statement on social media that he would appear before the Senate and exercise his right to defend himself. This statement confirms his intention to remain formally in office while the impeachment process moves forward. All facts currently reported are based on Xinhua coverage and local media reports. No further developments have been confirmed beyond the Senate’s plans to continue with impeachment and the President’s statement on his willingness to defend himself before lawmakers.
