Colombia turns to Chile after ‘losing’ Pan American Games; citizens urgently need an explanation

The mayor of BarranquillaAlejandro Char, assured this Wednesday that the Government of Colombia is asking the Chilean executive to mediate with Panam Sports so that that Caribbean city recovers the headquarters of the Panamerican Games of 2027, which he lost this Wednesday for breaching the organization contract.

“I just spoke with (…) Presidency and the message is that we are talking to the Chilean government “so that it helps mediate this situation and we do not lose hope of (hosting) these Pan American Games,” Char told reporters.

Panam Sports announced that it removed the headquarters from the Caribbean city considering that it failed to comply with the signed contract.

The parties had reached an agreement in October to fulfill the contract, which included the payment of four million dollars for “right of organization” of the Pan American Games, a figure that had to be disbursed on July 30 of last year. Four million dollars corresponding to “the granting of media rights”.

In that sense, Char stated that “Four million dollars should have been transferred to the public treasury on December 31 and it was not done, a strange procedure (…), but it did not happen when I already had the presidential order.”

“We have the money today, we have it complete, we have the eight million dollars (…) There is every interest from the Government in wanting to help move this forward,” said the mayor, who took office two days ago.

He stressed that there is “There is every will, that there is direct communication with the Chilean Government, at any time the president (of Colombia, Gustavo) Petro speaks with the president (of Chile, Gabriel) Boric.” “Let’s hope that the president manages to make a move where Colombian sports win,” he added.

In search of an explanation

Politicians and athletes asked the Colombian Government this Wednesday for explanations for the decision made by Panam Sports to withdraw the venue of the 2027 Pan American Games from the Caribbean city of Barranquilla for breaching the organization contract.

Former cyclist Víctor Hugo Peña, who was the leader of the Tour de France between the fourth and sixth stages of the 2003 edition, regretted that they had been “Threw to the thrash” More than 300 million dollars that Barranquilla has invested in sports venues in recent years.

“The Government of change leaves Barranquilla without headquarters and Colombia of the 2027 Pan American Games″Peña wrote on the social network X.

Minister questioned

The Minister of Sports, Astrid Rodríguez, is in the eye of the storm because, supposedly, her portfolio was in charge of managing the money that had to be sent to Panam Sports before December 31.

For this reason, Chamber representative Andrés Forero, of the opposition Democratic Center party, announced that he will summon Minister Rodríguez to a political control debate so that she “explains to Congress and the country the shame of the Pan American Games.”

“What is behind Barranquilla losing the possibility of hosting the 2027 Pan American Games? Is it government incompetence or political revenge? Is that typical of a regional and world leader?”Forero asked himself in X, referring to Petro.

Even representative Agmeth Escaf, from the ruling party’s Historical Pact, assured that what happened with the loss of the Games venue is “inconceivable, unjustifiable and unforgivable.”

“The damage that this negligence of the National Government causes to Barranquilla is immeasurable. That’s not it, (president) Gustavo Petro. It is not like that”Escaf said on its social networks.

Another representative in the Chamber who criticized the Government was Hernán Cadavid, also from the Democratic Center, who said that what happened is “consequence of electing useless people who only know how to block streets and burn police officers“, and that what happened is “a defeat for the country and a shame for Colombian sports.”

“Once again they play dirty with Colombian athletes, we have a High Performance Center in total abandonment, contracts handed out by hand, low budget execution by the Ministry of Sports and, now, we are left without Pan American Games”said Bogotá councilor Leandro Castellanos, who was a professional goalkeeper until last year when he retired wearing the Independiente Santa Fe shirt.