Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña was hospitalized in Rio de Janeiro late Monday after feeling unwell while attending the G20 summit, according to officials.
In a statement, Paraguayan authorities confirmed that Peña, 46, was treated at the Samaritano Hospital in the Botafogo neighborhood of Rio. The statement explained that the president experienced a “malaise” in the afternoon and was taken to the hospital for diagnostic tests.
The hospital later issued a bulletin assuring the public that Peña’s condition was stable and he was doing well. “The head of state is doing well and his current state of health is stable,” the note read.
Witnesses reported that Peña was transported by ambulance from the summit venue, and some Latin American media outlets suggested he may have experienced chest pains.
Paraguay’s Vice President, Pedro Alliana, provided an update on social media, confirming that he had spoken with Peña. “He is doing well and awaiting the results of medical tests,” Alliana wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Although Paraguay is not a G20 member, Peña was invited to the summit by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who hosted the event. Before his illness, Peña had been presenting Paraguay’s economic situation, particularly focusing on efforts to reduce poverty, to other summit leaders.