Paraguay’s Santiago Pena under arrest, new president Pedro Alliana sworn in

Pedro Alliana has been sworn in as the new president of Paraguay, after a banking scandal led to the impeachment of his predecessor, Santiago Pena. But Pena’s tenure came to an abrupt end earlier in the day, after 44 of Paraguay’s senators voted to remove him from office. One senator in the 45-member chamber abstained.

“I take my leave with gratitude, while fully acknowledging the anguish of those who are currently awaiting answers,” Pena wrote on social media on Friday afternoon. The impeachment marked a rapid fall from power for Pena, a member of the long-governing Colorado Party. His departure coincides this week with the sudden collapse of a prominent lending institution, Ueno Bank.

Questions have arisen about whether the bank was properly regulated by government institutions, and whether Pena himself had conflicts of interests involving the bank. After Pena’s impeachment, prosecutors announced they would seek his arrest on suspicion of breaching the public trust and other crimes. The former president was reportedly detained at his home.