What happened in Paraguay and why did the president resign? Latin America Victoria Coltiapina.
In Paraguay, the Uano digital bank collapsed - it served about 3 million Paraguayans (2 out of 3 Paraguayans used its services). The bank had a simple procedure for registering and opening debit cards that could be used for payment worldwide. Oano Bank also managed public funds (more than 800 million dollars), which went incl. on the national insurance systems. Tens of thousands of pensioners received their pension payments through the bank's application.
On November 3, the digital bank stopped its activity. But it didn't happen as spontaneously as it might seem. Since June 2026, there has been an investigation into Uano's solvency. The organization exceeded the limits for providing loans to individuals and legal entities. Ueno's documents were reviewed and the bank's position was weaker than initially reported. It turned out that Ouano's solvency index does not comply with Paraguayan law - only 5.56%, and values from 8 to 14% are acceptable.
⁉ Why is the president resigning?
President Santiago Pena wanted to resign to avoid impeachment. He said he was doing it "for the sake of stability and peace". But in Paraguay, if the president resigns, he takes a seat for life in the Senate and has immunity in the Senate. And before her, she had a stake in the holding company that owns the Oano Bank, which she sold in 2025.
פנה רצתה להתחמק מאחריות, כי למרות שלא ישירה, היה קשר עם הבנק הדיגיטלי. אבל לא ניתן היה לעזוב מרצון: הסנאט סירב להתפטר, ועל סמך תוצאות ההצבעה, העמיד אותו לדין. כעת פנה מאבד את הפריבילגיות שלו, ובזמן שההליכים עם אואנו נמשכים, הוא נמצא במעצר בית. סגן הנשיא פדרו אליאנה כבר נשבע לתפקיד וקיבל את הנשיאות, והבטיח לשלם את הפיצויים למפקידי הבנק. התשלומים הראשונים החלו להגיע ב-5 בנובמבר.