Photo credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images
Paraguayan President Santiago Pena made a video message in which he announced his resignation. This happened against the background of the crisis that arose after the collapse of the local bank Ueno, which suspended operations and came under external control of the country's Central Bank.
As a result, almost three million people who kept their savings in this bank lost access to their accounts. Protests broke out across the country, with participants demanding the resignation of Peña, who until last year was a shareholder in the group that controlled the bank.
“I want to apologize to the people if at some point I did not live up to expectations. It was never my intention to betray the trust you placed in me,” Pena said.
He added that he was resigning to preserve stability, public peace and democratic institutions.
Earlier, the lower house of Paraguay's Congress voted to begin impeachment proceedings against the president, whose removal was supported even by members of his own party. Pena is accused of conflict of interest and concealing facts related to the collapse of Ueno Bank.
Now the post of head of state will be taken by Vice President Pedro Alliana.
Santiago Peña, representing Paraguay's ruling conservative Colorado party, won the 2023 presidential election, ahead of a candidate from the center-left.
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