It has been 50 years since the shameful episode of the military dictatorship that took power in 1972 and wrote a page of arrogance, authoritarianism and regionalist hatred. As is happening today with the Ministry of Sports, sports entities did not have their own money. Everything was subject to the will or sympathy of the Government. The Ecuadorian Olympic Committee (COE) and the National Sports Federation (Fedenador) had their headquarters in Guayaquil, as did most of the Ecuadorian sports associations that were born in 1968. This did not please the leaders of the mountains, with all the exceptions.

In 1972, the COE, chaired by Voltaire Paladines Polo since 1968, was faced with participating in the Bolivarian Games that were to be held in Panama in February 1973. In March of that year, the COE sent the Ministry of Education and Sports a budget for the preparation of athletes, travel and equipment. Months passed, the COE coordinated the work of the federations of each sport so that the intervention in Panama was successful, but the dictatorship did not give a cent. In November 1972, Voltaire Paladines noted this circumstance and announced that Ecuador would refrain from participating if the money did not arrive soon.

On January 3, 1973, the COE met and its vice president, Patricio Romero Barberis, reported on a conversation held the day before with General Vicente Ando Aguirre, Minister of Education and Sports, who asked him to convey this message: “In terms of the preparation of the Ecuadorian team , tell the COE to borrow one million sucres, since this ministry will deliver this sum to the COE in a few days.”

Romero Barberis, at the minister’s request, presented at that session a draft law on sports prepared by ministry bureaucrats with the advice of Quito’s leader. The COE, for its part, gave Romero its project, which was in radical contrast to the minister’s document. The soldier’s attitude changed as he assumed that the COE must accept his project.

The COE announced through the media that the delegation will consist of around 120 athletes, and that the amount required for participation is estimated at 3 million sucres. Some names of the athletes were leaked and this caused confusion among the leaders of the capital who met with the minister and expressed their displeasure. Suddenly, Minister Anda Aguirre, who until that moment had not delivered a single coin, declared to the media on January 12, 1973 that his government would intervene in the integration of the national team “to guarantee the honorable competitive sport of the country” at the Bolivarian Games.

The minister intended to “control and monitor the formation of the team (…) for which, after technical advice from experts for various sports, he will proceed to review the list of selected ones prepared by the COE. ” He made observations about some athletes of volleyball, gymnastics, baseball and athletics, which led to the conclusion of who was talking into his ear on a subject of which he was unaware.

On January 17, at the Cabinet meeting, the government decided that it would not finance the trip to Panama, stating that the economic crisis in the country was caused by the rains on the coast. In the evening, the COE met. Paladines reported that it had contacted Panamanian leaders to give them the news. They seemed surprised to find that Anda Aguirre had called them on the 16th to confirm Ecuador’s arrival. They offered to the COE to arrange tickets and accommodation on behalf of the Government of Panama so that Ecuador could attend the Games.

On January 19, Paladines told reporters that Ecuador would go to Panama with a small delegation and finance it with its own funds, which were scarce. This angered the arrogant minister, who replied that no delegation would travel: “The national government will not approve the accreditation of a sports delegation that participates in the Bolivarian Games in Panama without its authorization”, and said that his negative attitude received several congratulations. He didn’t say who, but it was easy to guess.

Voltaire Paladines Polo, former president of the COE, while he was a radio broadcaster in the Atalaya station system. Photo: archive

The arrogant position of the president of the COE was assessed as challenging by the minister, who announced on January 19 that since that day the dictatorship intervened in all sports organizations that, in his words, “became dependent on the Ministry of Education until the passing of the Law on Sports.”

Paladines described this intervention as wrong and confirmed that Ecuador will go to Panama. Anda Aguirre’s response was to ask the government minister to imprison the president of the COE, who was sentenced to four days in prison and a fine of 30 sucres as a violator. In addition, Anda ordered the General Directorate of Immigration and Immigration to ban leaders and athletes from leaving the country. On January 20, 1973, Paladines went to the Model Barracks accompanied by Agustín Arroyo Yerovia, a member of the International Olympic Committee and other leaders, and surrendered under arrest. The duty officer reported that he had been in isolation since that moment.

The intervention of sports organizations by the dictatorship and the unjust imprisonment of the president of the COE provoked angry reactions from citizens and harsh criticism from the press not committed to regionalism. EL UNIVERSO stated on the 21st: “It is very clear that (…) there was an intention on the part of the Government to take direct control of sports in the country.” (…) It is true that many will be happy about the Government’s intervention in sports. Satisfied are those who have fallen forever and strive to master this activity, regardless of the means to achieve it (…). We must be clear: the elements that have fueled regionalist passions for years are trying, through these problems, to take from Guayaquil one of its titles achieved by the efforts of its children and those who live and have lived in this city: Capital of the “Sports of the Country”. It goes without saying that this emblem does not exist today, since the sport in Guayaquil has been dead for several years.

On January 22, 1973, Paladines was released. The charge of “indecent behavior” made by Anda was answered by the remembered great leader: “I was the governor of Guayas, a constitutional deputy and a member of the Court of Constitutional Guarantees.” “I know how to treat people and I pride myself on being a cultured person.” The discussions continued. Anda stuck to his position of banning national participation.

Then he said that he would allow 20 or 30 people authorized by him to be in the delegation. Paladines continued to reject the military’s arrogance and decided that Ecuador would definitely refrain from participating. His courageous stand in defense of the autonomy of sports has been written down in history. In the end, more than a hundred athletes frustrated by arrogance and hatred welcomed their participation and the sure harvest of medals. (OR)