Original article: Impasse marca proclamación de José Kast como presidente electo en el Tricel

José Kast Proclaimed Elected President Amidst Ceremonial Glitches

Last Monday, the Electoral Qualifying Tribunal (Tricel) held a ceremony to officially announce José Kast as the elected president. The president-elect was accompanied by his wife, María Pía Adriasola, along with the team from the Office of the Elected President. Various leaders from political parties across the nation also attended the event.

During the event, which began at 12:00 PM, Tricel’s president, Arturo Praga, read the official proclamation that confirmed Kast’s election.

“The Electoral Qualifying Tribunal, in compliance with articles 26, 27, and 95 of the Political Constitution of the Republic, has declared the electoral process carried out during the second round for President of the Republic to be valid and in accordance with law,” he stated.

One of the most talked-about moments of the ceremony was an awkward mishap when José Kast received the proclamation document, which accidentally fell from its folder to the ground. In response, the president of the Tribunal, Arturo Prado, quickly picked up the documents.

Additionally, various political party leaders attended the ceremony, representing both the opposition and the ruling side.

Among those supporting Kast’s candidacy were party leaders Johannes Kaiser (PNL), Guillermo Ramírez (UDI), Rodrigo Galilea (RN), Arturo Squella (PR), Juan Manuel Santa Cruz (Evópoli), Sara Concha (PSC), Ximena Rincón (Democrats), and Andrés Jouannet (Amarillos).

From the ruling side, attendees included party leaders Paulina Vodanovic (PS), Jaime Quintana (PPD), Jaime Mulet (FRVS), and Leonardo Cubillos (PR).

The leader of the Communist Party, Lautaro Carmona, was absent, rejecting support for José Antonio Kast’s backing of U.S. intervention in Venezuela, which led to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Leaders from the Broad Front, Liberal Party, and the People’s Party also did not attend, as did representatives from parties that lost their legal status after the general elections.