Santiago Peña facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Su Excelencia
Santiago Peña
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Peña in 2024
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| 52nd President of Paraguay | |
| Assumed office 15 August 2023 |
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| Vice President | Pedro Alliana |
| Preceded by | Mario Abdo Benítez |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 5 January 2015 – 5 June 2017 |
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| President | Horacio Cartes |
| Preceded by | Germán Rojas |
| Succeeded by | Lea Giménez |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Santiago Peña Palacios
16 November 1978 Asunción, Paraguay |
| Political party | Colorado (since 2016) |
| Other political affiliations |
PLRA (1996–2016) |
| Spouse |
Leticia Ocampos
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Mburuvicha Róga |
| Education | Catholic University of Asunción Columbia University (MA) |
| Profession | Politician, Economist |
| Website | santipresidente.com (redirected to Facebook page as of May 2024) |
Santiago Peña Palacios, born on November 16, 1978, is a politician and economist from Paraguay. He is currently the 52nd President of Paraguay, a role he has held since 2023.
Before becoming president, Mr. Peña worked at the Central Bank of Paraguay and Banco Amambay. He also taught economics at the Catholic University of Asunción. He has written about money and finance. Peña was also the Minister of Finance for Paraguay. He used to be a member of the Authentic Radical Liberal Party but joined the Colorado Party in 2016.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Where Was Santiago Peña Born?
Santiago Peña was born in Asunción, Paraguay, on November 16, 1978. His father, José María Peña Nieto, was Paraguayan, and his mother, Ana María Palacios, was from Argentina. He has two brothers, Manuel and Francisco. His family history connects him to Dr. José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, who is seen as a founding father of Paraguay.
What Did Santiago Peña Study?
Peña earned degrees from the Catholic University of Asunción in 2001. He also studied at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, in 2003.
Early Career as an Economist
Working at the Central Bank
In 1999, Peña started his career as an analyst at the Industrial Development Fund. From 2000 to 2009, he worked as an economist at the Central Bank of Paraguay. In 2012, he became one of the four directors of the Central Bank of Paraguay.
Minister of Finance
Becoming Finance Minister
In 2015, President Horacio Cartes chose Santiago Peña to be the new Minister of Finance. He took over from German Rojas. At the time, President Cartes said Peña was a "bright young man" who could help Paraguay's economy. This was important because global soy prices were low, and regional exports were slow.
Joining the Colorado Party
On October 29, 2016, Peña joined the Colorado Party. Before this, he had been a member of the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA) since he was 17. His decision to switch parties caused some discussion. Reports suggested he joined after the president said he would remove cabinet members who were not part of the Colorado Party. Peña stated he joined because the party focused on developing Paraguay. He also said he was a descendant of one of the party's founders, Jaime Peña. After he joined, a court officially ended his membership in the PLRA.
First Presidential Campaign
Running for President in 2018
In 2017, Santiago Peña ran to become the Colorado Party's candidate for the 2018 presidential election. He did not win the nomination. Mario Abdo Benítez won with more votes. After this, Peña joined the board of Banco Amambay in March 2018. This bank was part of the Cartes Group, owned by former President Horacio Cartes.
Teaching and Research
Santiago Peña's Academic Work
In 2004, Peña taught financial theory as a professor at the Catholic University of Asunción. In 2005, he became a professor of economic policy at the same university. He has also written academic papers about monetary policy and finance. In 2017, he was a visiting professor at George Washington University, where he shared his experiences in public administration.
Presidency (2023–Present)
| Presidential styles of Santiago Peña |
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| Reference style | Excelentísimo Señor Presidente de la República "Most Excellent Mr. President of the Republic" |
| Spoken style | Su Excelencia "Your Excellency" |
| Alternative style | Señor Presidente "Mr. President" |
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Becoming President of Paraguay
In 2022, Peña successfully ran to be the Colorado Party's presidential candidate again. He was seen as being very close to former president Horacio Cartes. His opponent, Arnoldo Wiens, was aligned with the outgoing president, Mario Abdo Benítez.
Santiago Peña was elected President of Paraguay in April 2023. He won with 43.9% of the votes in the 2023 general election. He beat his main opponent, Efraín Alegre. The outgoing president, Mario Abdo Benítez, congratulated him. Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Alberto Fernández of Argentina also sent their congratulations. Peña asked for everyone to work together to solve the country's economic problems.
Peña officially became president on August 15, 2023. At 44 years old, he became the youngest president of Paraguay since democracy returned in 1989. He is younger than Mario Abdo Benítez, who was 46 when he became president.
Political Ideas
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What Are Santiago Peña's Views?
By the time of the 2023 election, Peña was considered a conservative politician. He does not support the legalization of same-sex marriage. During his 2023 campaign, he promised to create 500,000 jobs. He also said he would not raise taxes.
Foreign Policy Decisions
In terms of foreign policy, Peña promised to keep Paraguay's diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan). As president, Paraguay restarted diplomatic relations with Venezuela in November 2023. These relations had been difficult since 2019. In May 2023, Peña announced that he planned to move the Paraguayan Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after becoming president. This move was made by Horacio Cartes in 2018 but reversed by Mario Abdo Benítez later that year. Peña has also shown strong support for Israel during the Israel–Hamas war.
Honours
See also
In Spanish: Santiago Peña para niños
