Kehinde Fajobi
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña was admitted to a hospital in Rio de Janeiro on Monday after feeling unwell during the G20 summit.
In a statement, Paraguayan officials disclosed that Peña was treated at the Samaritano Hospital in the Botafogo area after experiencing a sudden illness earlier in the day.
“We inform you that the President of the Republic, Santiago Peña, was treated today at the Samaritano Hospital (Botafogo) in Rio de Janeiro due to an indisposition,” the statement read.
The 46-year-old president underwent diagnostic tests at the hospital, and his condition was later confirmed to be stable.
A hospital bulletin stated, “The head of state is doing well, and his current state of health is stable.”
Witnesses at the summit venue reported seeing Peña transported to the hospital by ambulance.
While some Latin American news outlets speculated he might have experienced chest pains, no official confirmation was provided.
Paraguay’s Vice President Pedro Alliana later shared an update on X, formerly known as Twitter, 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.”
Although Paraguay is not part of the G20, Peña attended the summit as a special invitee of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.