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Pedro Alliana has been sworn in as the new president of Paraguay following the impeachment of Santiago Peña over a banking scandal.
Alliana, 52, took the oath of office on Friday, becoming the 53rd president of the Latin American country, Al Jazeera reported.
Peña’s presidency ended on the same day Alliana was sworn in. He was swiftly removed from office through impeachment after being linked to a banking scandal. Of the 45 members of Paraguay’s Senate, 44 voted in favour of removing him, while one abstained.
An arrest warrant has also been issued for Carlos Carvallo, the former head of Paraguay’s central bank. The central bank has been accused of failing to properly supervise Ueno Bank. Carvallo resigned last week.
In a social media post on Friday afternoon, Peña wrote, “I leave with gratitude. I fully understand the pain of those who are still waiting for answers.”
Peña’s departure came this week after he was linked to the sudden collapse of Ueno Bank, one of Paraguay’s influential lending institutions.
Questions have been raised over whether the bank was adequately supervised by government agencies. Concerns have also emerged over a possible conflict of interest involving Peña and the bank.
