Colombia rows against the current to retake the venue for the 2027 Pan American Games

First modification: 01/04/2024 – 23:43

4 min

“Once again they play dirty with Colombian athletes,” claimed Bogotá councilor and former goalkeeper of the Colombian club Santa Fe, Leandro Castellanos. This is one of the many critical voices of politicians and athletes who have complained to the Government, after the news that Barranquilla will no longer host the 2027 Pan American Games due to non-payment of rights.

The Executive Committee of Panam Sports, which organizes the largest multi-sports event on the continent, unanimously made this decision on January 3, 2024. As explained, on October 19, in a meeting in Santiago de Chile, and after receiving In an official letter from the Colombian authorities, dated October 25, Barranquilla requested an extension of the deadlines to be able to fulfill the contract. “The proposal was accepted by Panam Sports, with a new date of December 30, 2023 and January 30, 2024.” However, they argue that there was “no response” once the new deadline passed.

“The Government of change leaves Barranquilla and Colombia without a venue for the 2027 Pan American Games,” wrote cyclist Víctor Hugo Peña and asked to explain why the corresponding payment was not made.

Senator Carlos Fernando Motoa, of the right-wing Radical Change party, also complained about the actions or omissions of the authorities responsible for complying with the payments. “Now they leave the country to fate,” he added.

There were also reactions from the ruling party. The president of the Chamber and part of the ruling movement, Agmeth Escaf, described the Government's management as “negligent.” “This is inconceivable, unjustifiable and unforgivable,” he said.

In addition to the criticism from opposition politicians, government officials and long-time athletes, other criteria from citizens are added that explain the consequences of Barranquilla no longer being the venue for the Pan American Games. They even include studies of the socioeconomic impact that holding the games would have had.

The Government's response

The Minister of Sports, Astrid Rodríguez, is the focus of most of the country's criticism. In a press conference she admitted failing to make the December payment.

He explained that the contract dates back to 2021. That year, he said, a payment was made, but not in 2022. He also clarified that when March 2023 arrived, the first task was to resume the conversations, “which were broken.”

“I sat the Colombian Olympic Committee and Panam Sport on the table to tell them our desire to continue with the headquarters and we were committed to making the payment in December 2023, but due to cash flow it could not be done. That's why we decided to do it in January,” he reported.

There were four million dollars that they had to pay in December for organization rights and another four million for media rights. According to the agreement, the first amount would be paid at the end of December 2023 and the rest at the end of January 2024.

The minister also clarified that they had informed the directors of Panam Sports that the payment of the eight million dollars would be made on January 30 of this year. “There is the money, we have all the will, but today the executive committee decided what you already know,” she added.

For his part, Alejandro Char, mayor of Barranquilla, the capital of the Atlántico department, maintains hope that the event will take place. In addition, he urged President Gustavo Petro to intervene immediately.

With just two days in office, Char said that the city has the financial resources to organize the event and that this information would have been indicated to the president of Panam Sports.

Colombian control entities also intervene

The decision also provoked reactions from the control entities of the Latin American country. The Attorney General's Office demanded answers and explanations from the Minister of Sports for this news.

This is because the case involves a breach of the Government's contract with an international organization. All information must be sent by January 5, 2024. With this, the authority will be able to determine if there are responsibilities for the alleged breach of a Government contract.

The Comptroller General's Office joins this call. Another Colombian entity that asks Astrid Rodríguez for explanations and warns of damage to the public treasury. The control authority reported that 2.2 million dollars that Barranquilla had already delivered to the organizers of the Pan American Games are at risk. That money, she said, could be lost. Therefore, she urged the Government to resume, as soon as possible, the agreement for the sporting event to take place.

For now, the XX Pan American Games do not have a venue. Could Barranquilla be the home of the 2027 Pan American Games again? According to the organization itself, the decision to withdraw the Colombian city as its headquarters is “unavoidable.”. For now, they would lose the opportunity to organize these games for the second time. They did it in 1971, in Cali, more than 50 years ago.

With AP, EFE and local media.