Safe in ex-President's mansion of Paraguay found empty

The Paraguayan Public Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday opened the security room hidden in the mansion of former President Santiago Peña in San Bernardino. According to the Paraguayan press, the compartment was empty and no cash or valuables were found. The operation came after the discovery of the space on Sunday, behind a fake wall in the former president's holiday residence, located about 50 km from Asunción.

The opening was possible after Peña indicated, through his lawyer, where the security key was. At the end of the procedure, prosecutor Silvia González said the former president informed the location of the device in an area of the residence. The structure had an armored door protected by four security steps, which made it difficult for officers to access.

Armored door and four protection mechanisms

According to local press reports, the door had four protection mechanisms: password, facial or iris recognition, fingerprint and special Mul-T-Lock keys. On Monday, prosecutor Christian Benítez said authorities were considering asking Peña's wife, Leticia Ocampos, to help free access by biometric recognition. Another possibility considered was to carry out a controlled detonation.

Videos released by the Paraguayan press show the moment when investigators found the secret passage during the search and seizure operation in the mansion. The complexity of the security system attracted attention, but the contents of the safe did not correspond to initial expectations. The source did not detail whether there were other items on the site other than the emptiness found.

Research on the financing of the mansion

The residence is also under investigation for suspicions related to the financing of the construction. Some of the resources were obtained through loans granted by Ueno Bank. The financial institution is at the centre of a crisis that has shaken the Paraguayan political scene.

Ueno Bank was Paraguay’s largest digital bank, with about 2.9 million customers, equivalent to approximately 40% of the country’s population. The Banco Central suspended operations of the institution on November 3, after identifying that the solvency index was below half of the minimum required. The indicator measures the ability of a financial institution to meet its commitments.

Impeachment and change of command in the country

The Ueno Bank crisis also directly affected then-President Santiago Peña. The Senate approved, on November 6, the impeachment of the president, accused of involvement with the financial institution. The vote ended with 44 votes in favour of dismissal and one abstention.

Peña had requested a 72-hour extension to file the defense, but the request was denied. With the impeachment approved by the Senate, the then vice president Pedro Alliana assumed the Presidency of the country. The transition took place amid a scenario of political and economic instability.

Prisons and suspected manipulation

The bank is being investigated for suspected asset manipulation and lending to companies linked to the controlling group. Eight executives were arrested, including the president of the institution, Juan Gustale, and the vice president and founder, Miguel Vázquez. The arrests reinforce the seriousness of the charges involving the Ueno Bank summit.

The discovery of the empty vault in Peña's mansion adds a new chapter to the investigations. Despite the absence of values in the compartment, the existence of a secret room with high-level security raises questions about the purpose of the space. The source did not say whether further investigations would be carried out at the site.

The case is still ongoing, and the Paraguayan authorities have not informed the next steps of the investigation. The population closely monitors the developments, while the new government tries to stabilize the economy and restore confidence in the country’s financial system.

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