Paraguay, Peña risks up to 15 years in prison for the Ueno case

The former president of Paraguay Santiago Peña risks up to 15 years in prison for his involvement in the Ueno bank scandal, an institution placed under administration for receiving millionaire state deposits. Prosecutor Verónica Valdez explained that "the penalty that could be applied, in accordance with the qualifications now envisaged, is up to 15 years of imprisonment for complicity in crimes, as these involve multiple punishable facts".

Peña, dismissed on Friday by the Senate for "failure to fulfill his duties", is imprisoned in a military facility in Asunción. According to the investigators, the former head of state "would have intervened in circumstances linked to the placement, renewal and permanence of significant sums of money from public and social security bodies" within the bank.

The investigation involves another 27 people, including eight former managers of the institute who risk up to 12 years in prison. The investigations underline that Peña "would have maintained a previous economic and corporate relationship" with the group, owning 1.58% of the shares of Ueno Holding sold in March 2025.