Alliana sworn in as Paraguayan president

SUDDEN SUCCESSION: Political observers saw Alliana as a figure best suited to inherit ruling party leadership, but had not expected his ascension to happen this soon

After three years as vice president, it took just three days of crisis to catapult Pedro Alliana to Paraguay’s presidency. The former national basketball player, businessman and ruling party insider was rapidly sworn in on Friday, minutes after the impeachment of his former boss, Santiago Pena. A lifelong party loyalist whose life has been marked by family tragedy, Alliana, 52, finds himself leading Paraguay at a moment of acute political turmoil.

Earlier this week, Ueno Bank suddenly collapsed, freezing the savings of half of Paraguay’s adult population. On being sworn in on Friday, Alliana pledged to put that right in the time he has before the term ends in August 2028.

Born on Feb. 19, 1974, in the riverside city of Pilar, Allina emerged as a national political figure with the backing of former Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes — still one of the country’s most influential political operators and leader of the ruling Colorado Party. Before entering politics, Allina built a career as a businessman and won recognition as a talented basketball player, earning a place on Paraguay’s national team in 1991.

Pedro Alliana, left, who previously served as vice president, is sworn in before Congress as Paraguay’s new president in Asuncion on Friday.

Photo: EPA

His life has also been marked by personal hardship. Tragedy struck in 2003, when his brother Rodolfo “Pili” Alliana, 24, was kidnapped and murdered. A court found that he was kidnapped to fund a cigarette smuggling operation — a massive billion-dollar trade in the landlocked nation. In 2018, he was diagnosed with leukemia and underwent treatment in Brazil. A year later, he announced he had overcome the illness, although he had to undergo chemotherapy again in 2021.

Politics was present in Alliana’s life from an early age. His parents served as local councilors, but his first foray into politics ended in defeat in 2006, when he unsuccessfully sought the mayoralty of his hometown at age 32. However, two years later, he was elected governor of the southern department of Neembucu. From there, he steadily climbed the political ladder.

He served in the Chamber of Deputies from 2013 to 2023, presided over the lower house, then led the Colorado Party. His rise accelerated through a faction founded by Cartes within the Colorado Party. In 2021, he expected to run for the Senate, but later recalled that Cartes informed him he would instead become Pena’s running mate. Pena himself publicly praised his future deputy, saying Alliana could become “the best vice president in Paraguay’s history.”

Married to congresswoman Fabiana Souto and father of four children, Alliana faced criticism over the number of relatives employed in public administration, including his eldest daughter, Montserrat Alliana. Even so, political observers frequently viewed him as one of the figures best positioned to inherit leadership of the ruling party — just not this quickly.

A year after taking office as vice president, Alliana publicly acknowledged his ambition to one day take the highest office. Last year, Cartes openly encouraged those aspirations.

“Pedro, you are blessed,” the former president said during a party event, urging supporters to back him as the “next president of the Republic.” Yet, as had happened earlier with Pena, relations between Cartes and Alliana eventually cooled.

After the former president withdrew support for his presidential ambitions, Alliana publicly signaled his independence, declaring on Monday last week that loyalty should not be confused with “blind obedience.” His fortunes changed again when lawmakers impeached Pena, but rejected proceedings against Alliana, shelving the case against the vice president.