Following the impeachment of former Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and the subsequent arrest of both Peña and former Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP) President Carlos Carvallo in connection with the collapse of digital lender Ueno Bank, Paraguay’s newly sworn-in President Pedro Alliana has moved swiftly to reorganise the state apparatus with new BCP leadership.
As of 10 November 2026, the new administration has enacted a broad series of high-level appointments, transfers, and military top-tier replacements across key government ministries, the BCP, the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic, and the Armed Forces.
New BCP leadership
In response to financial instability caused by the Ueno Bank resolution procedure and the recent resignation of Liana Caballero – who served as interim president of the Central Bank of Paraguay following the resignation of former head Carlos Carvallo – the Executive Branch has formalised the appointment of Jorge Luis Schreiner Marengo as the new president of the BCP and of Fernando Javier Rivarola Angulo as a director of the central bank.
Both appointments, through decrees No. 7212 and 7213, were finalised after the Senate, in an extraordinary session, granted the corresponding constitutional agreement for the renewal of positions in the country’s top banking institution.
Who is Jorge Luis Schreiner Marengo?
Schreiner is an economist and lawyer, a graduate of the National University of Asunción (UNA) and the University of the North. He holds a master’s degree in Monetary and Credit Policy from the University of Würzburg, Germany, and another in Tax Law.
He is currently pursuing a doctorate in law. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the BCP (1997-1999), adviser to the Superintendency of Banks (1999-2003) and president of the National Securities Commission for ten years (2003-2013).
Who is Fernando Javier Rivarola Angulo?
In the case of new BCP director Fernando Rivarola’s appointment, he will serve the 2025-2030 term, replacing Marco Aurelio González Maldonado. Rivarola was the person who prepared the technical report that led to the discovery of irregularities surrounding Ueno Bank and the companies linked to it.
Rivarola’s professional CV includes a degree in Business Administration from Webber International University in Florida, USA, and two master’s degrees: in Public Administration and Economic Policy from the London School of Economics (United Kingdom) and in Public Management and Economic Law from the University of Salamanca (Spain).
The director of the new BCP leadership also holds a diploma in Macro-Financial Policy from Columbia University. Throughout his career, he has held managerial positions at the BCP, served as principal adviser to the Minister of Finance, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Development Finance Agency (AFD).
Cabinet realignments and ministerial restructuring
Next to the new BCP leadership, President Alliana’s additional executive decrees focused on key areas including national security, public infrastructure, and presidency administration.
- Ariel Martínez (Minister of the Interior): A lawyer by trade, Martínez returns to lead the Ministry of the Interior. He previously served in this position between January and August 2018 during Horacio Cartes’ administration. He succeeds former Minister Enrique Riera, taking over from interim commander Carlos Benítez.
- Juan Carlos Baruja (photo, Minister of Public Works and Communications – MOPC): Appointed via Executive Decree No. 7204, Baruja is a civil engineer who previously led the Ministry of Urbanism, Housing and Habitat (MUVH). His career includes tenures as Minister of Agriculture, Governor of Paraguarí, and Senator. He succeeds Claudia Centurión.
- Rolando de Barros Barreto (Chief of the Civil Cabinet & Executive Secretary-General): Designated under Executive Decree No. 7205, De Barros transitions from his former post as Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADES), a role he held across both the Cartes and Peña administrations.
Attorney General’s Office of the Republic
- Samuel Tadeo Rojas Caballero (Attorney General of the Republic): Appointed to defend the state’s legal interests, Rojas Caballero brings over 15 years of judicial and public administrative experience. He holds a law degree from the Universidad Católica de Asunción, a Master’s in Economic Analysis of Law from the University of Salamanca, and a specialization in Constitutional Justice from the University of Bologna, Italy. He previously worked as a rapporteur for the Supreme Court of Justice and Director of Decrees at the Civil Cabinet.
New Armed Forces leadership
By General Orders N° 228, 229, and 230, President Alliana enacted a comprehensive reshuffle of the military command:
- General Manuel Rodríguez Sosa: Appointed Commander of the Armed Forces, replacing General César Augusto Moreno Landaira (who enters retirement).
- Division General Alcides Lovera Ortiz: Appointed Interim Commander of the Paraguayan Army, replacing General Rodríguez Sosa.
- Air Division General Roberto José Idoyaga Benítez: Appointed Interim Commander of the Paraguayan Air Force, succeeding General Julio Rubén Fullaondo Céspedes.
- Brigadier General Fredy Roberto Oviedo Cáceres: Appointed Interim Chief of the Presidential Military Cabinet, replacing Division General Lovera Ortiz.
- Vice-Admiral Christian José Rotela Valdez: Formally reconfirmed as Commander of the Paraguayan Navy.
Overhaul of the state enterprises leadership
To maintain regulatory oversight across major state-owned utilities and fill cabinet vacancies left by executive transfers, President Alliana issued further decrees confirming several key directorships and interim leadership roles:
- Ing. Félix Eladio Sosa Giménez (President of the National Electricity Administration – ANDE): Appointed to head the state electrical power utility via Executive Decree No. 7206, Sosa Giménez returns to the helm of ANDE. An electrical engineer by trade, he replaces Miguel Ángel Báez Reyes, restoring technical oversight over national power distribution and grid infrastructure.
- Juan Pablo Cosp Bareiro (Interim Minister of Information and Communication Technologies – MITIC): Designated as Interim Minister to ensure administrative continuity at MITIC, succeeding former Minister Gustavo Villate.
- Víctor González Bedoya (Interim Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development – MADES): Takes over interim direction of the environmental ministry, stepping into the vacancy created by Rolando de Barros Barreto’s appointment as Chief of the Civil Cabinet.
- Víctor Hugo Villasboa Maidana (Interim Minister of Urbanism, Housing and Habitat – MUVH): Appointed interim head of MUVH following Juan Carlos Baruja’s transition to the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC).
- Abg. Eduardo González (Legal Advisor to the Presidency of the Republic): Appointed as Chief Legal Counsel to the Civil Cabinet and the Executive Branch, overseeing presidential decree compliance and constitutional affairs.
Establishing control, and restoring institutional stability
With new BCP leadership and the other rapid appointments across the cabinet, legal apparatus, and military command, President Pedro Alliana has moved quickly to establish control, restore institutional stability, and contain the fallout from the Ueno Bank financial crisis.
The coming weeks will reveal whether this reshuffled executive team can reassure international markets, restore public confidence in state banking institutions, and maintain political composure as the new administration takes full ownership of Paraguay’s governance.
