South American capitals Lima, Peru and Asuncion, Paraguay are the only cities to enter the race to host the 2027 Pan American Games after submitting required documents before the January 31 deadline.
The two cities will compete to become the replacement host after Panam Sports canceled its contract with Barranquilla, Colombia last month due to multiple breaches including a missed USD $4 million rights fee payment that was due December 31. Despite promises by Colombian officials to make good on the payment and meet personally with Panam Sports President Neven Ilic to make things right, nothing materialized.
The two bids provided approval letters signed by the highest government authorities of their regions and cities, and letters of intent from their National Olympic Committees. Barranquilla was elected unopposed in August 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic when Panam Sports forced to lock in its choice to meet its constitutional requirement to site a host six years in advance.
Now the winning bid will have a little more than three years to prepare for the major continental Games.
The hurry-up campaign will last less than six weeks before the candidates are expected make final 40-minute pitches to the voting Panam Sports member nations at the Extraordinary General Assembly to be held online on March 12. The final vote will be taken before the members log off.
“We are very happy with the application by two of our continent’s great cities. Both met the requirements requested in this process within the stipulated period and in March, the General Assembly will have the opportunity to vote for the one it considers best to host the twentieth Pan American Games in history,” Ilic said in a statement.
Asuncion was rumored to have interest in hosting the event as relations between Panam Sports and Barranquilla began to weaken last year and that led to Colombian officials claiming Paraguay was undermining their plans, and trying to steal the Games away.
Lima last hosted the Pan Am Games in 2019 and is considered a solid choice due to existing, tested infrastructure and expertise that will be valuable during the tight timelines.
Mexico’s Nuevo Leon had expressed interest in bidding last month before the Mexican Olympic Committee (COM) dropped its 2036 Olympic Games bid in favor of either the Pan Am Games or the Youth Olympic Games. Mexico is already preparing to jointly host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Canada and United States and is currently bidding to stage the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup with the United States.
Sao Paulo in Brazil was also a possible contender after officials there said they had been targeting to host the 2031 edition.
