Paraguay's Senate rejects Peña's bid for longer impeachment defense
Peña must now appear before senators at 12.10 pm local time after a 39-3 vote denied him more time.
Paraguay's Senate refused President Santiago Peña's request for a 72-hour extension to prepare his defense in an impeachment trial on Friday, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.
Senators ordered Peña to appear before them at 12.10 pm local time, which is 1500GMT.
In a letter to Senate President Basilio Núñez, Peña said that a window of less than 12 hours falls short of the standards expected in a state governed by the rule of law.
He said he received the notice on Thursday at 10.15 pm local time, which was 0100GMT on Friday, along with a 15-page indictment and about 300 pages of supporting documents.
Peña argued that the short timeframe left him no room to hire a lawyer and build a proper legal defense.
The Senate voted 39-3 against the extension, with two abstentions and one absence.
The proceedings come amid a financial crisis at Ueno Bank, which Paraguay's Central Bank took over earlier this week over concerns about its financial condition.
Customers of the bank faced restrictions on access to their deposits, which sparked public anger and questions about its financial dealings.
Peña previously held shares in the holding company that controls Ueno Bank, and he has faced accusations of conflicts of interest and irregularities involving public pension funds deposited with the lender.
Peña submitted his resignation on Thursday under mounting pressure, but lawmakers did not reach a quorum to consider it, so the impeachment proceedings continued.
Vice President Pedro Alliana would take over the presidency if Peña's departure is formalized.
The Senate's decision means Peña must prepare his defense under the timetable lawmakers originally set.
