The inauguration of Chile’s new president, José Antonio Kast, was marked by the presence of several right-wing representatives in Latin America this Wednesday (11). Among them are the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, and the senator and pre-candidate for the Presidency of Brazil Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ).
The solemn ceremony takes place in the coastal city of Valparaíso. Parliamentarians from all parties, figures linked to the international right and a dozen heads of state and government accepted the invitation to participate in the event, including King Felipe VI of Spain, the opposition leader in Venezuela María Corina Machado and the president of Bolivia, the right-wing Rodrigo Paz. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) canceled the official trip and sent his Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira.
In addition to Milei and the Spanish monarch, the presidents of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa; from Panama, José Raúl Mulino; from Honduras, Nasry Asfura; Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves; Paraguay, Santiago Peña; and Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, were present at the ceremony.
Kast received the presidential sash in the Hall of Honor of the Chilean Senate from the hands of the new president of the Upper Chamber, the conservative Paulina Núñez. The solemn session marked the end of the left’s years in power, under the leadership of Gabriel Boric.
The president-elect extended the invitation to the ceremony to more than a thousand guests. Lula’s absence was one of the biggest surprises of the official event. The press speculated that the cancellation of the trip could be linked to the fact that pre-candidate Flávio Bolsonaro confirmed his presence at the inauguration.
One of former president Jair Bolsonaro’s sons is considered the PT member’s main opponent in the October elections. Lula has been the target of criticism from the Chilean president in the past. In one of the statements, Kast even called him “corrupt”.
In addition to Lula, other left-wing leaders who were not present at the event are the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum and the Colombian Gustavo Petro.
After the ceremony, Kast will offer a lunch for the foreign authorities present at the inauguration and, in the afternoon, he will travel to Santiago for his first official event at a school in the capital.
Around 9pm. At 00:00 (local time, midnight GMT), Kast will give his first speech as president at La Moneda Palace, where he will outline his government’s priorities.
