Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies voted 48-30 against opening impeachment proceedings against Vice President Pedro Alliana as lawmakers considered President Santiago Peña’s resignation request. (Foto: Instagram)
Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies rejected a motion to begin impeachment proceedings against Vice President Pedro Alliana, a member of the Colorado Party, by 48 votes to 30. The vote came as lawmakers were also considering impeachment proceedings against President Santiago Peña, whose request to resign halted the session.
Peña is accused of involvement in the financial crisis surrounding Banco Ueno, which was dissolved on Nov. 3. The bank’s collapse left thousands of Paraguayans unable to access money in their accounts. Peña was a shareholder in the group that controlled the bank until last year.
Peña’s resignation request will now go to Paraguay’s Congress, where it must be approved or rejected by a majority in both chambers. If the request is approved, Alliana is expected to assume the presidency.
The allegations against Alliana include claims that he provided legislative cover during the bank’s crisis, supported the allocation of pension funds, and failed to act on warnings about loans to companies linked to the bank’s controlling shareholders. Alliana and Peña belong to the same party, the National Republican Association, known as the Colorado Party. The party’s lawmakers had backed impeaching Peña.
