Colombia is embarked on a crusade, little seen before in terms of national unity, to recover the headquarters of the 2027 Pan American Games, from which it was stripped Barranquillathe main city in its Caribbean region, for not complying with the payments agreed with the organization.
This agreement was signed in 2021 and on November 5, at the closing of the
Pan American Santiago, Barranquilla brought out their carnival costumes to receive the flag of the Panam Sports Organization, which has the rights to the Games, but two months later that enthusiasm turned into drama.
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Panam Sports withdrew the Pan American headquarters to Barranquilla on January 3 for not complying with two payments, of four million dollars each, that should have been made in the second half of 2023, which opened a national controversy that has transcended sports. and entered the political field, where accusing fingers point at ministers of the Colombian Government and even the president Gustavo Petro.
“Disaster”, “failure”, “fiasco” or “shame”, are some of the expressions that have been repeated for more than a week in the press and social networks to refer to the loss of the headquarters of the Pan American Games in Barranquilla. , a city of almost 2.2 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area and capital of the department of Atlántico, which symbolizes for many the dynamism and progress that lives up to its nickname of “Golden Gate of Colombia.”
Nairo spoke
There have been several athletes who have referred to the issue. Mariana Pajon is one of them and warned that the country must unite so that the headquarters returns to Barranquilla.
Nairo Quintana, that is preparing its 2027 season, the same one that will debut in the National road races and Tour Colombiahe opined.
“I think we have to keep sport in mind more, put a good focus on it. The Pan American Games are a great opportunity to sow seeds of sport in Colombia, of recognition in tourism, commerce, and that requires effort,” the man from Boyacá told Semana.
And he added: “The Government's willingness is to resume it. Surely with the minister and the mayor they will take it forward and obviously, it is not good that it happened, but it helped them realize that these types of events are important and to invest more in it”.
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