In brief
Vice‑president Pedro Alliana became president on Nov. 7, 2026 after the Senate removed Santiago Peña amid the Ueno digital lender crisis. Alliana, 52, will serve through August 2028, maintaining policy continuity for the Colombia Party. Analysts note the new presidency signals stability but a weak mandate and calls for increased patronage spending.
Pedro Alliana, Paraguay’s vice‑president, was sworn in as president on Nov. 7, 2026 after the Senate removed outgoing President Santiago Peña following the collapse of digital lender Ueno.
Alliana, 52, will finish Peña’s term through August 2028, preserving the long‑ruling Colorado Party’s policies amid an uncertain economy.
He had positioned himself for a 2028 presidential run but declared the day before his Senate oath that he was suspending his bid for the party’s December primary, saying the country needed to deal with the banking crisis first.
“I want to be president of the Republic. I think I have the capacity, I have the knowledge, I have the ideas.”
Alliana also told reporters that he would not take responsibility for mistakes made by others, a stance that marked a break with Peña as pressure mounted.
He has served as Colorado Party president for seven years and worked closely with former President Horacio Cartes.
In a recent interview with Infobae, Alliana highlighted Paraguay’s close ties to the United States, noting the Trump administration’s Shield of the Americas initiative as a tool against organized crime. He also re‑affirmed Paraguay’s support for Taiwan and Israel.
Analysts warn that the Alliana presidency represents policy continuity and dependence on former President Cartes, but also a weak mandate. Mariano Machado, Americas principal analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, said that while orthodox macro‑economic policy will continue, there will be greater pressure for increased patronage spending ahead of the 2028 elections.
