Paraguayan Prosecutors Raid Former President Peña's Mansion in Ueno Bank Case: Reports Say a Hidden Vault Was Found Behind a False Wall
ASUNCIÓN — Paraguayan prosecutors on Sunday, November 8, searched a residence of ousted former President Santiago Peña in San Bernardino as part of the investigation into the collapse of Ueno Bank. The Public Ministry said the operation was led by prosecutors Silvia González, Christian Benítez and Elena Fiore together with the National Police, at a property in the Ciervo Cuá area.
Paraguayan outlets ABC Color and Última Hora reported that searchers found a hidden vault behind a false wall inside the residence, fitted with a sophisticated security system said to be of Israeli origin, including iris recognition, which could not be opened on the spot. The prosecutors' statement confirmed the search itself but did not mention a vault; as of publication, officials had not said what, if anything, was inside or whether it had been opened.
The residence is itself under investigation. According to charging documents cited by Paraguayan media, Peña took two loans from Ueno Bank in May 2024 totaling more than 3.5 billion guaraníes (about $560,000) to build the house. The property sits on more than 5,000 square meters with about 1,015 square meters built, and is valued at about $2 million (one estimate put it at about 7.7 billion guaraníes).
Peña is charged with breach of trust as an instigator and self-dealing administration as a principal, and is in pretrial detention under Judge Humberto Otazú's order. Prosecutors allege he intervened to place and keep some 3.6 trillion guaraníes and $233.4 million in public and pension funds at Ueno Bank, whose central-bank intervention and collapse triggered the financial and institutional crisis that brought down his government. Vice President Pedro Alliana has succeeded him as president.
(Source: Public Ministry of Paraguay)
Source: Public Ministry of Paraguay
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：巴拉圭前总统 Santiago Peña 2023年8月就职时讲话（资料图）。照片：中华民国总统府官方照片，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons，本站档案图复用。 / Photo: Former Paraguayan President Santiago Peña speaking at his inauguration in August 2023 (file photo). Official photo, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, GSM archive reuse.
Novaya Gazeta Ceases Operations in Russia: UK and Finland Issue Joint Statement Calling on Moscow to End Repression of Independent Media2026-11-09
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul Heads to Paris for G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting: Iran Needs Concrete Negotiations, No New Military Escalation2026-11-09