Paraguay impeaches Peña after Ueno Bank collapse strands millions
Why it matters: Ueno counted 2.9 million customers, and authorities say about 1.2 million have received advance payouts so far.
Paraguay's Senate removed President Santiago Peña after the collapse of Ueno Bank triggered protests and left millions of customers unable to access money for daily transactions. Vice President Pedro Alliana was sworn in to replace him. Ueno's shutdown early Tuesday jolted a country where the bank said it had 2.9 million customers, while the Central Bank put the number of depositors at about 1.8 million. By Saturday, authorities said nearly 1.2 million customers had received advance payments through the state's deposit guarantee fund, but many were still waiting. Demonstrators gathered outside Congress in Asunción, blaming the government for a breakdown in accountability as frozen funds disrupted transport, food purchases and other basic expenses.