Lula wishes success to Pedro Alliana, new president of Paraguay after the fall of Peña

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) wished "complete success" to the new president of Paraguay, Pedro Alliana, sworn in this Friday (6) shortly after the conclusion of the impeachment process against Santiago Peña, then head of the Executive, who is under house arrest in Asunción.

"I convey to the new President of Paraguay, Pedro Alliana, who was sworn in this evening, my wishes for complete success in his new roles and to be able to work with him in an open, frank and cooperative manner, in favor of strengthening the bilateral relationship and advancing integration in South America", wrote Lula.

"I hope to be able to welcome you soon to Brasília, an opportunity in which we can examine our bilateral agenda and give renewed impetus to our historic ties of friendship," he said.

Alliana responded to the message shortly afterwards. "Dear President, very grateful for your compliment. Our nations will always be united by bonds of fraternity. We have begun a fruitful relationship in honor of our people!", wrote the new Paraguayan president.

Conservative, member of the hegemonic Colorado Party and ally of Donald Trump in Latin America, Peña maintained a cordial relationship with Lula during their terms in office. The Paraguayan had been at the head of the country since 2023, the year in which the PT member resumed the Planalto for his third term.

In July of this year, the two experienced brief friction after Lula mentioned the Paraguayan War during a visit to a defense company in Jacareí (SP). "We like peace, but we cannot forget that, once, Paraguay decided to invade Brazil", said the PT member.

The statement is not wrong, but the mere mention of the 19th century conflict, the largest in Latin America and responsible for devastating the neighboring country, was enough for the Paraguayan government to be pressured for days to take tougher actions against the Lula government. Assunção summoned the Brazilian ambassador to the country and delivered a note of rejection.

It was Alliana himself, Peña's deputy at the time, who delivered the note. "We also don't want to delve too deeply into this issue [...] in the middle of the electoral campaign", said Alliana at the time, when questioned by a journalist at a press conference after the meeting. "What we least want is for them to think we intend to interfere in the elections."

Peña was arrested this Friday (6), hours after the impeachment was approved in Congress that removed him from office. The Colorado Party politician was informed of the order by agents and is being held under house arrest until he reports to the Prosecutor's Office — according to inspectors told the local press, Peña must report at 11am.

Agents who entered Peña's residence told the Paraguayan press in front of the residence that the former president would be under house arrest as determined by the detention order issued minutes after the impeachment was approved.