Benjamín Liberoff

In February 2026, Ueno Bank reportedly paid US$100,000 for a “Diamond” sponsorship of a conservative gala held at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Brazilian federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and a prominent Trump ally, presented an award at the event. According to Paraguayan central bank inspection records, Ueno had already exceeded legal limits on lending to companies connected to its shareholders. Between September 2025 and May 2026, the bank extended approximately US$146 million in loans and overdrafts to three related companies, exceeding the applicable lending ceiling by approximately US$41.5 million. Supervisors had documented concerns about these transactions months before the February gala, yet no formal regularisation plan had been demanded. The US$100,000 Mar-a-Lago sponsorship therefore took place while Ueno was facing serious, unresolved regulatory problems and continuing to expand its financial and political relationships. Four months later, in June 2026, the bank transferred loans involving shareholder-linked companies to another company within the same business group. Central bank inspectors subsequently concluded that Ueno had indirectly financed the purchase of its own loans, contrary to banking regulations. The Mar-a-Lago payment warrants a deeper investigation because it raises questions about why a Paraguayan financial institution facing regulatory scrutiny was spending substantial money sponsoring a political event associated with the US president and his international allies. Investigators would need to establish who authorised the expenditure, which organisation received the payment, what benefits the sponsorship provided, and whether the bank's executives pursued any additional political or commercial relationships through the event.