Asunción – “Outrage, frustration and pain felt by society cannot be ignored or downplayed,” Cardinal Adalberto Martínez Flores, Archbishop of Asunción, warned in a statement issued on 7 November, following the removal and arrest of President Santiago Peña amid the banking scandal linked to the liquidation of Ueno Bank .
“This reality,” Cardinal Martínez stressed, “is reflected in the voices and faces of young people who spontaneously organized and led demonstrations in cities across the country, undoubtedly influencing the course of events over the past few days.”
“The banking crisis has triggered a serious social and political crisis, culminating in the impeachment of President Santiago Peña and Pedro Alliana’s assumption of the presidency. Likewise, Antonio Barrios has taken office as Vice-President, in accordance with the provisions of the National Constitution,” Cardinal Martínez recalled.
The Cardinal also noted that, when taking their respective oaths of office on November 6, both politicians “invoked God, asking Him to grant them wisdom and humility in governing”.
“Wisdom and humility require that those in office act with honesty. Citizens’ trust in the authorities and institutions of the Republic has been severely undermined by corruption and impunity,” the statement reads.
“To restore trust and rekindle hope, it is essential that the measures adopted, as well as appointments to government positions and to the leadership of the country’s key state institutions, reflect a firm commitment to change.”
The freezing of accounts at the bank at the centre of the scandal has had a devastating social impact. A large number of people have been left without access to cash to meet essential expenses, including the purchase of food and medicines and the payment of utility bills and transport costs.
Accounts collected by the media describe situations of extreme distress: elderly people reporting that they have only a few guaraníes left, equivalent to around one US dollar; families unable to buy medicines for their children; and small business owners and street vendors whose operating capital remains frozen.
Those particularly hard hit include salaried and informal-sector workers, small-scale savers and micro-entrepreneurs who had concentrated their salaries and business funds on the digital banking platform, as well as pensioners and elderly people who have been left unable to access their accounts.
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