President Santiago Peña remains in office after a joint session of Paraguayan Congress failed to approve his resignation amid a lack of quorum, the government’s official Xinhua news agency reported. The vote, scheduled for Thursday, was interrupted when lawmakers from the ruling Colorado Party walked out, preventing the body from reaching a decision. As a result, Peña’s resignation has not been accepted and he officially retains the presidency.
The joint sitting was suspended, leaving a political stalemate that follows the collapse of digital lender Ueno Bank, which has left millions of customers unable to access their accounts. Earlier that day, the Chamber of Deputies had unanimously approved impeachment charges against Peña in response to the crisis. Senate President Basilio Nunez announced that the upper house would move forward with the impeachment process.
In a statement posted on social media, Peña confirmed that he would appear before the Senate and exercise his right to defend himself. The resignation, announced amid mounting pressure over the Ueno Bank collapse, has not yet taken effect because Congress has not formally accepted it.
