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Ueno bank
ueno bank S. A. was a Paraguayan bank headquartered in Asunción. It operated primarily through digital payment platforms.
On November 3, 2026, the Central Bank of Paraguay initiated resolution proceedings for ueno bank, after determining that its solvency ratio had fallen below fifty percent (50%) of the required minimum—a result of adjustments made to its financial statements during the regularization process. Consequently, customers of the institution lost access to their deposited funds until further notice, in accordance with Law No. 2334/03. As a result, the president of the Central Bank of Paraguay, Carlos Carvallo, resigned from his position, while the Public Prosecutor's Office ordered the arrest of the executives of the intervened bank.
History
Financiera El Comercio, CrediCentro, and ueno holding SAECA (1976-2022)
Financiera El Comercio was founded in 1976.
CrediCentro was founded in 1981 at Mercado 4 by Víctor Hugo Vázquez. On September 6, 2021, in a transaction approved by the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Paraguay, Grupo Vázquez acquired a 65% stake in Financiera El Comercio. On July 23, 2021, it merged the entity with CrediCentro. Subsequently, on December 20, 2021, El Comercio was renamed ueno holding SAECA.
In 2021, Carlos Carvallo Spalding assumed the role of president of the entity, a position he held until 2023.
ueno bank (2023-2026)
In November 2023, after meeting the requirements of the Central Bank of Paraguay, the entity obtained a license to operate as a bank and adopted the name ueno bank S.A.
In 2024, it acquired Visión Banco, which was integrated into its operational structure. Following this transaction, the institution expanded its customer base and surpassed one million active credit cards.
On August 14, 2025, the institution was the victim of a data leak involving approximately 250,000 customers, with the information published on a dark web forum. he bank's president, Juan Manuel Gustale, denied the veracity of the information and pointed to inconsistencies in the published data. The case was subsequently investigated by the Central Bank of Paraguay.
In December 2025, the entity announced the addition of OTP Bank as a shareholder following an investment of 30 million US dollars.
In March 2026, it issued bonds totaling $350 million on the New York Stock Exchange.
Dissolution (2026)
The resolution of ueno bank S.A. refers to the closure process of that financial institution by the Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP), initiated on November 3, 2026, following the discovery of a severe deterioration in its solvency. The measure left the bank's clients—including public institutions—without access to their funds, and it led to a criminal case, the arrest of eight executives, and a political crisis that reached President Santiago Peña.
Sponsorship
Prior to its dissolution, ueno bank maintained sponsorship agreements with companies, clubs, federations, and sporting, cultural, and social events in Paraguay.
Football
ueno bank served as the primary sponsor of the Paraguayan Football Association (APF), with its brand featured in the names of competitions and the Estadio Defensores del Chaco. It also signed agreements with local clubs such as Club Olimpia, Cerro Porteño, Club Guaraní, and Sportivo Luqueño, which included stadium naming rights and the implementation of digital payment systems at events.
Other sports
The bank served as a strategic partner to the Paraguayan Olympic Committee (COP) and as a sponsor of the Paraguayan delegation in international competitions. It also maintained agreements with the National Sports Secretariat (SND) and was presented as the main sponsor of the 2025 Junior Pan American Games, held in Asunción. Furthermore, it sponsored the "Corrida Solidaria" (Solidarity Run) organized by the Dequení Foundation.
Auto racing
It was the main sponsor of the Rally del Paraguay—a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC)—for its 2025 and 2026 editions. The 2025 edition received recognition from the FIA. Following the bank's dissolution, the rally organizers announced that they would seek a new sponsor. It also sponsored Paraguayan drivers Joshua Dürksen, Diego Domínguez Jr., and others.
Culture and social actions
It maintained partnerships with Aldeas Infantiles SOS Paraguay and the SUMMA Network, focused on children's education and labor inclusion. n the entertainment sector, it entered into a partnership with the production company G5pro.