Vice President Lai attends inauguration of President Santiago Peña Palacios of Paraguay and other events
On August 15 local time (evening of August 15 and early morning of August 16 Taipei time), Vice President Lai Ching-te attended the inauguration of President Santiago Peña Palacios of the Republic of Paraguay and other celebratory events.
Before the inauguration ceremony began, Vice President Lai arrived at the Paraguayan presidential palace and, together with the attending heads of state and representatives, walked to the palace's rear plaza to be seated. The vice president met and exchanged greetings with various representatives, including United States Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Apostolic Nuncio to Argentina and Titular Archbishop of Otricoli Miroslaw Adamczyk.
The ceremony began with the playing of Paraguay's national anthem. President of the Senate Silvio Ovelar then delivered remarks before administering the oath of office to incoming President Peña and Vice President Hércules Pedro Lorenzo Alliana Rodríguez. A 21-gun salute and a flyover by military jets followed to salute the new president, vice president, and their guests from abroad.
In his inaugural address, President Peña said that his administration will build alliances and cooperate with a geopolitical perspective and will pursue equal and balanced agreements. President Peña pointed to Taiwan and Paraguay as clear evidence of the type of relationship Paraguay has built with the nations it shares deep-seated feelings with, saying it is a relationship built on friendship and cooperation. He stressed that this relationship is not just between us as allies, but as brothers.
Later on, an oath of office was administered to all of Paraguay's cabinet heads, bringing the inauguration ceremony to a close.
Also in attendance at the inauguration were the leaders of various countries, including King Felipe VI of Spain, President Luiz Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Alberto Fernández of Argentina, President Luis Lacalle Pou of Uruguay, President Gabriel Boric of Chile, President Luis Arce of Bolivia, and Vice President Félix Ulloa of El Salvador.
Following the inaugural ceremony, Vice President Lai and the heads of state and representatives proceeded to the Asunción Cathedral to take part in a prayer ceremony. After remarks by Cardinal Adalberto Martínez Flores, Archbishop of Asunción, a hymn was played, and a prayer for Paraguay was offered in a solemn ceremony. President Peña then exchanged greetings with each of the assembled heads of state and representatives.
After the prayer session, the heads of state and representatives returned to the Paraguayan presidential palace, where a master of ceremonies read out their names as they personally delivered congratulations to the president and first lady, and Vice President Lai personally offered his own words of congratulations to President Peña.
At noon, Vice President Lai attended a luncheon hosted by the president and first lady where he had lively conversations with members from other national delegations. In the afternoon, the vice president viewed the military parade on the Avenida Mariscal Lopez near the presidential residence that was held in celebration of the 486th anniversary of Asunción's founding. Later in the evening, Vice President Lai will attend the riverside performances to be held near the Paraguayan presidential palace, wearing a traditional form of Paraguayan clothing called an aopoí.