Colombian Olympic Committee (COC) president Ciro Solano has accused Paraguay sport officials of interfering with Barranquilla’s plans to host the 2027 Pan Am Games, in part leading to the hosting contract being canceled by the Panam Sport Organization (PASO).
Last week PASO announced that the Colombian government missed a December 31 deadline for a USD $4 million payment towards marketing after the date had been extended from October. As a result of that and other alleged contract breaches, the Games were stripped from the Colombian city.
Barranquilla was awarded the Games unopposed in August 2021.
Solano said he believes campaigning by Paraguayan capital Asunción, already scheduled to host the 2025 Junior Pan Am Games, has undermined Barranquilla and influenced PASO’s decision.
“Paraguay has been insisting on holding the [2027 Pan Am] Games since August,” Solano told AFP.
“Instead of being supportive they have always been waiting to take the Games away from Colombia, that is the perception that we have.”
Solano has discussed the issue with PASO president Neven Ilic who assured that no damages would be claimed from Colombia due to the contract breach, but the COC president assured that he would be doing everything possible to win the Games back before PASO’s extraordinary Assembly scheduled for February to handle the crisis.
“The damage is great for the image of Colombia, for the sports country, for the Colombian people themselves. We are going to take action, we want to do everything amicably, we still have hope of recovering the Games,” he said.
“Although they have quite a few arguments for the decision that we as a Committee made, we ask to be heard.
“We will look for the mechanisms, the strategies to convince Neven (Ilic).”
Solano ruled out any legal actions against PASO, explaining “we want to be prudent, but we are going to firmly claim that right that was assigned two and a half years ago, regardless of the inconveniences we have had.”
Meanwhile PASO wasted no time in its search for a replacement host that will have to organize in half the time of a typical Pan Am Games. Ilic reportedly sent a letter to Olympic Committees of other Pan American nations to gauge their interest in filling the gap.
Officials hope to be able to discuss a plan B at the Assembly in February.
Along with Asunción, regions in Mexico and Peru have already indicated a desire to host – and last year São Paulo in Brazil had set a target for the 2031 edition.
