Mayor of Guayaquil, Achilles Alvarezmade a decision on the decision of the members of the Organizing Committee of the Bolivarian Games, request that the Main Port host a sports event, but not within two years, but in 2029.

Do sports in Guayaquil need the Bolivarian Games?

The Ecuadorian Olympic Committee (COE), the Ministry of Sports and various association leaders announced on Tuesday that they have withdrawn from organizing the 2025 Bolivarian Games in Guayaquil. However, the Bolivarian Sports Organization (Odebo) will be asked to host the 2029 Games.

Give up bolivars in Guayaquil

The decision was made after a meeting where the current economic and political situation in the country was analyzed, as well as the deadlines for organizing the Games.

“My proposal is to hold the Bolivarian Games for Guayaquil in 2029 and do something well done“, said Jorge Delgado Panchana, president of the COE. “There is no guarantee that the next government will come, we can’t know if they will take over, that uncertainty is deadly for these games,” he added.

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Athlete representative Priscila Lazo agreed with Delgado and indicated that the sports prestige of the country is at stake. “We need something that really says this is Ecuador, as it was at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Maybe it wasn’t perfection, but it was noticed by the medals won” and the best presentation of the country in its history, he recalled.

“If we already have a pretty good score, why not keep improving this; It’s time for change, don’t leave it to words. As athletes, we plan… How long do we have to try to do this at the last minute? Not!. we deserve something goodLazo pointed out.

During the meeting, it was also recalled that the Minister of Sports, Sebastián Palacios, had verbally promised an amount of $24 million for administrative costs and the work of the Organizing Committee, but he was clear that the money would arrive only in March or April 2024, when he is off duty.

“At the end of June (next), this project should be presented to the Ministry of Sports, so that (in July or August) we present it to Senplades (National Secretariat for Planning and Development)” for approval, Palacios said at the meeting.

The minister indicated that the current government could, under normal circumstances, know, organize and pay the necessary funds between February or March next year. but he emphasized that the new administration will last until March or April 2024.

Along with Delgado, Palacios and Laz, Thomas Pellehn, interim director of the organizing committee of Guayaquil 2025, Augusto Ayala, representative of the business union; Carlos Serrano Bonilla, Deputy Prefect of Guayas, as well as Councilor Carlos Javier Andrade who represented the office of the mayor of Samborondón.

The COE states that the Guayaquil Mayor’s Office was absent from the meeting, however, the Mayor spoke about it tonight.

Alvarez said the city is “always happy” to host any event, especially the Bolivarian Games. However, he specified that “Guayaquil has no game resources” and that “do not plan based on words”.

“There will be a new government, so we cannot plan without knowing what the new president of the Republic will decide“, the mayor stated on his Twitter profile.