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Palacio presidencial blanco sudamericano con la bandera de Paraguay ondeando y funcionarios trasladando cajas en una transición de gobierno
Palacio presidencial en Paraguay durante la transición de gobierno, en una imagen alusiva al relevo presidencial. · Imagen generada

Costa Rica Congratulates Paraguay's New President After Peña's Removal

Costa Rica congratulated Paraguay's new president, Hércules Pedro Lorenzo Alliana Rodríguez, who took office after the Senate removed Santiago Peña on Friday…

--- The context --- The Government of Costa Rica, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, congratulated the new president of Paraguay, Hércules Pedro Lorenzo Alliana Rodríguez, who took office after the Senate removed Santiago Peña through an impeachment trial on Friday, November 6. The change came amid the scandal over the collapse of the digital bank Ueno Bank, a solvency crisis that hit savers and shook confidence in the financial system. The Costa Rican statement conveyed its best wishes to the president and to the Paraguayan people and reaffirmed its willingness to maintain diplomatic ties. Relations between the two countries began in 1883 and have supported cooperation in trade, education, tourism, technology and institutional strengthening. --- The facts --- According to Paraguay's Congress, the removal was backed by 44 senators. Peña had initially announced his intention to resign, but the legislative process continued until his departure. After the decision, Alliana, who until that moment served as vice president, was sworn in during a solemn session and assumed the Presidency to complete the constitutional period 2023-2028, until August 15, 2028. Alliana, 52, belongs to the Colorado Party and reached the Vice Presidency in August 2023 as part of the electoral ticket headed by Peña. Before that, he served in the Chamber of Deputies and held party responsibilities. As part of the reorganization, Antonio Barrios Fernández assumed the Vice Presidency and the new head of state began adjustments to his cabinet. --- The positions --- The former president faces allegations over alleged irregularities related to the Ueno Bank case, an institution that faced serious solvency problems and whose situation triggered investigations into its administration and the handling of resources. Peña was also charged over alleged irregularities, but he has rejected the accusations, so any criminal responsibilities must be determined through the corresponding judicial process. Alliana announced that he will address the situation of savers affected by the banking crisis and will promote measures to restore confidence in financial institutions. He also placed among his priorities health care, in particular the supply of medicines in public hospitals. --- What remains unknown --- The full scope of the judicial investigations and the timetable on which they will advance are not yet known. Nor is it defined how affected savers will be compensated or what concrete measures the new government will adopt to restore financial confidence and guarantee the supply of medicines in public hospitals. --- Unanswered questions --- What will the judicial process determine about the alleged irregularities attributed to the former president? Will affected savers recover all of their resources, and within what timeframe? Will the new government manage to sustain cooperation with partners such as Costa Rica while addressing the financial and health emergency it has inherited? --- EPM analysis --- The Costa Rican congratulations serve a practical purpose: they immediately recognize institutional continuity and keep the bilateral agenda open. In November 2025, representatives of both governments discussed expanding the trade agenda and technical collaboration, Paraguay's approach to the OECD and opportunities in the pharmaceutical, technology, meat and telecommunications sectors. Costa Rica now reiterated its intention to preserve that cooperation with the new Paraguayan administration despite the political upheaval. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, Paraguay faces a transition that is orderly in form but demanding in substance: the constitutional succession was completed without a power vacuum, with a mandate lasting until August 15, 2028, yet the new government's legitimacy will be measured by its response to savers, by the transparency of the judicial process and by its ability to restore confidence in financial institutions and in health services at a delicate moment for ordinary citizens.
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