Paraguay President Santiago Peña Hospitalized After Falling Ill at G20 Summit in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña was hospitalized late Monday after experiencing health issues during his participation in the G20 summit in Brazil.

According to Brazilian officials, Peña, 46, is currently undergoing necessary medical evaluations at Rio de Janeiro’s Samaritano Hospital. In a statement, they added, “At this time he is undergoing relevant medical checks. The hospital will issue a medical bulletin in coming hours.”

Witnesses reported that an ambulance transported the Paraguayan leader from the summit venue. Some Latin American media outlets suggested that Peña may have experienced chest pains.

Paraguay’s Vice President Pedro Alliana provided an update on social media, saying, “I spoke with President Peña, who is in Rio de Janeiro’s Samaritano Hospital after a slight illness. He is doing well and awaiting the results of medical tests.”

Peña’s G20 Attendance

Although Paraguay is not a G20 member, Peña attended the summit at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who hosted several leaders from outside the group.

Before his health issue, Peña addressed summit participants about Paraguay’s economic situation, emphasizing efforts to reduce poverty in his country.