PARAGUAY · UENO BANK DATA ROOM
Published Saturday, 7 November 2026, 6:45 a.m. ET · Source: Banco Central del Paraguay communiqués, prosecutors’ filings, market data
Paraguay’s Ueno Bank, a digital bank with about 2.9 million clients, was taken over by the Banco Central del Paraguay (BCP) in a board decision of Monday 2 November, announced on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Savers are covered up to 228.3 million guaraníes (Gs), or US$38,200, each, and this page lists every key figure of the crisis in guaraníes (Gs) and US dollars with its date, source type and status.
Key Facts
- Clients About 2.9 million depositors lost normal access to Ueno Bank accounts after the 3 November takeover.
- Cap The deposit guarantee covers up to Gs 228.3 million (US$38,200) per depositor; about 97% fall inside it.
- Payouts The BCP announced advances of up to Gs 10 million (US$1,673); later groups have no published dates.
- Disputed Frozen state money is disputed: estimates run from US$800 million to US$860 million (Gs 4.8 to 5.1 trillion).
- Rate Every conversion uses Gs 5,976 per US$, the market close of Friday 6 November.
- Prediction markets The prediction market Polymarket gives Pedro Alliana, Paraguay’s new president, a 10.5% chance in its market on the 2028 election (7 November, 6:27 a.m. ET).
- Power Index Paraguay ranks 10th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 35.0 points (November 2026 edition).
Some of these figures are firm and some are disputed, so each row carries a plain status: confirmed, reported, contested or allegation.
Part of the dossier
This page belongs to our dossier on the Paraguay crisis, the removal of President Santiago Peña and Ueno Bank.
In Plain English
- Guaraní (Gs): Paraguay’s currency; Gs 5,976 buy US$1 in this page.
- BCP: the Banco Central del Paraguay, the country’s central bank and bank regulator.
- Resolution: the legal process in which the central bank takes over a failing bank and sorts out its assets and debts.
- Solvency ratio: a bank’s capital measured against its risky assets; the law sets a minimum.
- Deposit guarantee: a state-backed fund that repays savers up to a legal cap at a failed bank.
Ueno Bank Key Figures in Gs and US$
| Figure | Gs | US$ | Date | Source type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solvency ratio | Below half the legal minimum; exact ratio not published | n/a | Board decision Mon 2 Nov; announced Tue 3 Nov | BCP communiqué | Confirmed (wording only) |
| Clients affected | About 2.9 million depositors (some reports say 3 million) | n/a | From Tue 3 Nov | BCP figures relayed by reports; counts differ | Reported |
| Deposits held and market share | About Gs 16.7 trillion; 8.9% of system deposits and 5.9% of loans (end 2025) | About US$2.8 billion | 2026 (deposits); end 2025 (shares) | Regulator and rating-agency data relayed by reports | Reported |
| First payout per depositor | Up to Gs 10 million, minus debts at Ueno; needs an account at another bank | Up to US$1,673 | Announced Wed 4 Nov; payments began on the evening of Thu 5 Nov | BCP announcement | Confirmed |
| Emergency advance | Up to 40 minimum monthly wages, about Gs 121.7 million | About US$20,400 | Law 7745, promulgated Wed 4 Nov; payable within 24 hours to five business days | Emergency law, as reported | Reported |
| Deposit guarantee cap | 75 minimum monthly wages, Gs 228.3 million per depositor per bank | About US$38,200 (reports say 38,000 to 38,600 at other rates) | Standing law | BCP communiqués | Confirmed |
| Depositors fully covered | About 97% of depositors | n/a | Preliminary, 3 to 5 Nov | BCP preliminary estimate | Reported |
| Public money frozen | Gs 4.8 to 5.1 trillion in all; pension fund (IPS, the public pension institute) Gs 2.12 to 2.27 trillion | US$800 to 860 million in all; pension fund US$355 to 380 million | Oct to 7 Nov | Press estimates and a senator’s claim; no Ministry of Economy total found | Contested |
| Bond due 2031 | About Gs 2.09 trillion | US$350 million | Sold March 2026; due 2031 | Bond terms as reported | Reported |
| Money moved to linked firms | About Gs 872.5 billion to three firms; a Gs 444.6 billion loan portfolio went to one of them | About US$146 million; US$74.4 million | Sep 2025 to May 2026; Jun 2026 | Prosecutors’ case file, as reported | Allegation, single source, not proven |
| People charged | 27 people, including 8 Ueno directors | n/a | Wed 4 Nov | Prosecutors’ filings, as reported | Confirmed; all presumed innocent |
| Staff in Argentina suspended | n/a | n/a | Unpaid suspension Thu 5 Nov to Fri 4 Dec | Company notice to staff at Kaitel SRL, an IT services firm of the ITTI technology group | Reported; headcount contested (900 to 1,000) |
| Exchange rate used | Gs 5,976 per US$ | 1 | Close, Fri 6 Nov | Market data; BCP reference rate for the day not found | Indicative |
Status key. Confirmed: at least two independent reports agree. Reported: one source. Contested: sources disagree. Allegation: a claim by prosecutors that a court has not tested.
What the Numbers Mean for Savers
Three amounts matter to savers: Gs 10 million (US$1,673) paid first, up to about Gs 121.7 million (US$20,400) as an emergency advance, and Gs 228.3 million (US$38,200) as the legal cap. Our Ueno Bank depositor guide explains who is paid in which group.
Only about 3% of depositors hold more than the cap. The BCP has said only that it will seek the greatest possible protection for them and has published no plan or date.
Who Is Charged and Who Now Holds Power
Prosecutors have charged 27 people, including eight Ueno directors, and all are presumed innocent until a court rules. Prosecutors requested the detention of Carlos Carvallo, the BCP president who resigned on Tuesday 3 November, and reports say he surrendered on Friday night.
The Senate removed President Santiago Peña on Friday 6 November with 44 votes in favour, and Pedro Alliana, until then vice president, was sworn in to serve the rest of the term, to August 2028. Read the full account in our report on Santiago Peña’s removal; the investigation is covered in our Banco Central del Paraguay report.
Peña was detained at home in Asunción on Friday 6 November, and later reports say he was moved to the Presidential Escort Regiment, the army unit that guards the presidency. He has not been convicted of anything.
What Happens to the US$350 Million Bond
Ueno sold US$350 million (Gs 2.09 trillion) of bonds due 2031 to international investors in March. We found no public statement on how bondholders will be treated.
Our Ueno Bank bond risk report tracks the market reaction. The IMF has made no public statement on Ueno that we could find.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, a prediction market where people trade real money on outcomes, the “Paraguay Presidential Election Winner” market on the 2028 vote gave Pedro Alliana, Paraguay’s new president, a 10.5% chance on Saturday 7 November at 6:27 a.m. ET. About US$12,000 had been traded across the whole election market and about US$3,000 on the Alliana contract, so the price is thin and these are bets, not polls.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for You
If you hold Ueno money, count your total balance at the bank, because the cap applies per depositor and not per account. If you hold Paraguayan assets, watch the guaraní and the 2031 bond, the two prices that react first to news from the BCP and the courts.
Travellers and expats with a Paraguayan account elsewhere should note that the first payout goes only to savers who hold an account at another bank. Our look at the dates to watch in the Ueno Bank crisis lists the next deadlines.
What Is Not Known
- The exact solvency ratio, which the BCP has not published: its wording is only “below half the minimum”.
- The final size of the hole in Ueno’s balance sheet.
- How much public money is frozen, and how the emergency advance will be paid out beyond the first week.
- The payout calendar for balances above the first group, and the fate of the 2031 bonds.
- Whether a judge orders Santiago Peña held before trial, and whether the Senate ratifies a permanent BCP president.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people were affected by the Ueno Bank takeover?
About 2.9 million depositors lost normal access to their accounts after the BCP took over the bank on 3 November. Some reports round this to 3 million.
How much of my Ueno Bank money is guaranteed?
The deposit guarantee covers up to Gs 228.3 million (US$38,200) per depositor and per bank. The BCP says about 97% of depositors fall fully within that limit.
Why do reports show different US$ amounts for the same guaraní sum?
The guaraní moved sharply against the dollar this week, so conversions made on different days differ. This page uses Gs 5,976 per US$, the market close of Friday 6 November.
Has anyone been convicted?
No. Prosecutors have charged 27 people, and all are presumed innocent until a court rules.
Sources: Banco Central del Paraguay communiqués of 3 to 5 November 2026; prosecutors’ filings in case 89/2026; Paraguayan Senate session of 6 November 2026; emergency deposit-guarantee law promulgated on 4 November 2026; market data, close of 6 November 2026. Not every official page could be opened during the check, so figures that rest on reports are marked in the status column.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief