Santiago Peña facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Su Excelencia
Santiago Peña
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Peña in 2025
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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 |
| Signature |  |
| Website | santipresidente.com (redirected to Facebook page as of May 2025) |
Santiago Peña Palacios (born 16 November 1978) is a Paraguayan politician and economist. He is the 52nd and current president of Paraguay, serving since 2023. Before becoming president, Peña worked in important financial roles. He was on the leadership board for the Central Bank of Paraguay. He also taught economics at the Catholic University of Asunción.
Peña was once the Minister of Finance for Paraguay. He first tried to become president in 2018 but lost in his party's primary election. He later won his party's nomination and became president in the 2023 general election. Peña was a member of a different political party until 2016, when he joined the Colorado Party.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Santiago Peña was born on 16 November 1978 in Asunción, the capital city of Paraguay. His father, José María Peña Nieto, was Paraguayan. His mother, Ana María Palacios, was from Argentina. Santiago has two brothers, Manuel and Francisco. His family history connects him to Dr. José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, a very important historical leader in Paraguay.
Education and Learning
Peña studied at the Catholic University of Asunción, where he earned a degree in 2001. He then continued his studies at Columbia University in the United States, getting another degree in 2003.
Teaching Economics
In 2004, Peña started teaching at the Catholic University of Asunción. He taught about financial theory. The next year, in 2005, he became a professor of economic policy at the same university. He also wrote research papers about how money works in a country and about finance.
Early Career and Government Roles
Peña began his career in 1999 as an analyst at the Industrial Development Fund. From 2000 to 2009, he worked as an economist at the Central Bank of Paraguay. This bank helps manage the country's money.
In 2012, he was chosen to be one of the four directors of the Central Bank of Paraguay.
Serving as Finance Minister
In 2015, Horacio Cartes, who was president at the time, chose Peña to become the Minister of Finance. This job involves managing the country's money and economy. When Peña took office, President Cartes said he was a "bright young man." He hoped Peña would help Paraguay's economy during a time when global prices for some goods were low.
Joining the Colorado Party
On 29 October 2016, Peña joined the Colorado Party. He had been a member of another party, the Authentic Radical Liberal Party, since he was 17. Peña said he joined the Colorado Party because he believed it focused on helping Paraguay grow.
First Presidential Campaign
In 2017, Peña ran to be the Colorado Party's candidate for president in the 2018 election. He lost to Mario Abdo Benítez, who later became president. After this, Peña joined the board of Banco Amambay, a bank owned by former President Horacio Cartes.
Becoming President (2023–present)
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In 2022, Peña successfully ran to become the Colorado Party's presidential candidate again. He was seen as being closely connected to former president Horacio Cartes.
Peña was elected President of Paraguay in April 2023. He won with 43.9% of the votes, beating his main opponent, Efraín Alegre. Many leaders, including the outgoing president and presidents from Brazil and Argentina, congratulated him. Peña asked for everyone to work together to solve the economic challenges facing Paraguay.
He officially became president on 15 August 2023. At 44 years old, he became the youngest president of Paraguay since the country became a democracy again in 1989.
Political Ideas
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Santiago Peña is considered a conservative politician. During his 2023 campaign, he promised to create 500,000 new jobs for people. He also said he would not raise taxes.
On foreign policy, Peña has stated that Paraguay will continue its diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan). In May 2023, he announced his plan to move Paraguay's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This move was completed in December 2024. Peña and his government have shown strong support for Israel during recent conflicts.
As president, Paraguay restored diplomatic relations with Venezuela in November 2023. However, relations between the two countries were broken again in February 2025.
In February 2023, Peña spoke about the time when Alfredo Stroessner was in power in Paraguay. He mentioned that this period brought stability to the country.
Awards and Recognition
Special Awards
In April 2025, Peña received the AJC Gesher Award from the American Jewish Committee. This award recognized his support for Israel.
Images for kids
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Santiago Peña's signature
See also
In Spanish: Santiago Peña para niños
