Good news. The Executive Committee of Panam Sports, chaired by Chilean Neven Ilic Álvarez, has ratified Barranquilla as the venue for the 2027 Pan American Games, this Thursday in Santiago de Chile, thanks to the commitments and support of the Office of the District Mayor, the Government of Atlántico, the National Government and the Colombian Olympic Committee (COC).
The cost is estimated at approximately $400 million. An example of the Barranquilla Carnival will be prepared before the closure of the fairs that take place on Chilean territory.
EL HERALDO spoke with Ciro Solano, president of the COC, who confirmed the good news.
What’s the news right now?
The venue for the 2027 Pan American Games has been confirmed. Today, during a session of the Panam Sports Executive Committee, led by Chilean Neven Ilic, the decision to ratify Barranquilla was made. On the final day of Santiago-2023, the National Government, President Gustavo Petro or his Minister of Sports, Astrid Rodríguez, and the Mayor of Barranquilla will receive the Panam Sport flag to organize the next Pan American Games in 2027.
How was it possible to achieve this happy ending?
A great work articulated under the leadership of Minister Astrid Rodríguez, with the support of the National Government, Mayor Jaime Pumarejo, the Atlantic Government and the Colombian Olympic Committee. We had many meetings in the city of Barranquilla, in the city of Santiago de Chile, in the context of the Games, and an agreement was reached to pay the overdue debts, and the stakes are really high, on the part of the government and of the Barranquilla District. We are going to comply with Panam Sports. All this management has led Panam to regain confidence in Barranquilla 2027. The first step is to install the Organizing Committee on November 16 during a session in Barranquilla.
Was there any communication with Panam Sports from President Gustavo Petro, who has not expressed anything publicly so far?
Well, the minister always spoke on behalf of the central government, and the Minister of Finance, Dr. Bonilla, also intervened. All the support from the national government was done in a very quiet way and the fruits are paying off. Therefore, I dedicate my gratitude to the society to both the National Government and the District of Barranquilla, and of course also to the Government of Atlántico, the three entities that have supported this great initiative and this great project for Colombian sport and for the country in general have supported.
How much would the investment in games be, with all the reforms that have been implemented, with the new proposals?
Well, in a budget restatement, we’re talking about $400 million, we’ll address that at the first meeting. There is a preliminary agreement on this with President Neven Ilic himself after his last visit to the city, where work was done at a technical table with members of the Mayor’s Office, the Ministry of Sports, with members of the Government and of course the Olympic Committee, Colombian.
Is there a final event planned for Santiago-2023?
Barranquilla will bring a sample of the carnival, which will be presented at the closing. We are working on this together with the general secretary, María Mónica Hernández. We are in a race to show America the greatness of our country, through our folklore, and what more than an example of the Barranquilla Carnival.
Source: El heraldo
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
