Judge orders Paraguay's ex-president Peña held before trial

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1. 47m ago

   Paraguay judge orders ex-President Santiago Peña held before trial

   A Paraguayan judge ordered former President Santiago Peña into pretrial detention at a military facility as prosecutors investigate his alleged ties to the collapse of digital lender ueno. Judge Humberto Otazú said the detention was needed to ensure Peña remained in Paraguay during the case. The order follows Peña’s impeachment and house arrest, reported by BBC, CNN, DW, Reuters and The Times of Israel. His reported charges include breach of trust and administration for personal gain. The lender’s failure has left millions of customers struggling to reach their accounts.

   Why it matters

   Peña’s removal followed the collapse of ueno, a digital lender whose failure became the country’s biggest political crisis in years, according to CNN. The banking collapse also drew comparisons with earlier crises in Paraguay, while The New York Times linked the leadership’s resignation to millions of people losing access to savings. The Times of Israel described Peña as a pro-Israel ex-president taken into custody over his alleged role in the bank crisis.

   What is confirmed

   • Judge Humberto Otazú ordered former President Santiago Peña held in pretrial detention at a military facility.
   • Otazú said the detention was necessary to ensure Peña remained in Paraguay while the case proceeded.
   • Peña has been charged with breach of trust and administration for personal gain.
   • The collapse of digital lender ueno has left millions of customers struggling to access their accounts.
   • Peña was impeached and placed under house arrest before the pretrial detention order.
   • Peña is facing up to 15 years in prison after the collapse of a major bank triggered Paraguay’s biggest political crisis in years.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The New York Times reported that Paraguay’s leader resigned after the bank failure left millions without savings.

   What to watch next

   • A ruling on any appeal of Otazú’s pretrial detention order.
   • Prosecutors’ findings on Peña’s alleged role in ueno’s collapse.
   • Evidence presented on the charges of breach of trust and administration for personal gain.
   Sources used for this update (15)

   1. www.investing.com — Investing.com - Stock Market Quotes & Financial News
   2. www.spokesman.com — As missiles hit Saudi Arabia, residents insist life goes on — and the show does too
   3. cashwalklabs.io — GM will switch to Nasdaq from the NYSE on Nov. 17
   4. The New York Times — Paraguay’s Leader Resigns After Bank Failure Leaves Millions Without Savings
   5. Al Jazeera — How Paraguay’s Ueno collapse is only its latest banking crisis
   6. BBC — Paraguay's President Santiago Peña impeached and arrested
   7. CNN — Paraguay president impeached and under house arrest following bank collapse scandal
   8. dw.com — Paraguay: President Santiago Pena impeached, under house arrest over bank crisis
   9. The Guardian — ‘Very strange, very sad’: Paraguay bank collapse fells a presidency and leaves millions broke
   10. Reuters — Paraguay's ex-President Peña faces prosecutors after impeachment, house arrest
   11. The Times of Israel — Paraguay’s pro-Israel ex-president taken into custody over alleged bank crisis role
   12. jen.jiji.com — Irene Pivetti on trial for bankruptcy, the accusation: "Accounting books and over 34 thousand euros stolen"
   confidence 93%