Colombia's president, Gustavo Petro, stated in a press conference that the $8 million is available to proceed with the bank transfer and try to regain the venue in Barranquilla, which was lost last week due to repeated violations, despite extensions being granted.
President Petro has expressed confidence that he will be able to reclaim Barranquilla as the venue for the Pan American Games, after Panam Sports withdrew from the bidding process last week, citing breaches of contract. The payment of the first of the two instalments of $4 was the last straw that exhausted the patience of the Pan American Sports Organization (Panam Sports), headed by Chilean Neven Ilic.
The much-criticized Colombian president was speaking at a press conference after a meeting on Tuesday at the Casa de Nariño, the headquarters of the national government, with the mayor of Barranquilla, Alejandro Char, the governor of the department of Atlántico, Eduardo Verano, the president of the Colombian Olympic Committee, Ciro Solano; the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Álvaro Leyva, and Sports, Astrid Rodríguez, to coordinate a plan to recover the venue for the Games.
Speaking to the media in the capital, Bogotá, he claimed to have the $8 million ready to bring the Pan American Games back to Barranquilla and Colombia, fulfilling the signed contract. "We have drawn up a plan to recover the Pan American and Caribbean Games. What we want to announce is that the eight million dollars for the concession of the rights to the Pan American Games are ready and can be transferred at any time if the other party to the agreement deems it necessary," expressed the President of the South American country.
In the face of relentless criticism from the public and opposition politicians, he stated that all necessary diplomatic means would be used to recover the venue. He has authorized Minister Alvaro Leyva to contact presidents and foreign ministers to seek political support so that the Caribbean city can regain what it had won on paper but lost due to the inefficiency of Colombia's political bureaucracy.
The Colombian president hopes that the decision to withdraw the venue will not be approved at the Panam Sports Assembly to be held in February. For this reason, he will try to use the power of lobbying and diplomatic persuasion, in addition to now showing enthusiasm for the Games (something that has not happened since he took over the presidency of Colombia).
To demonstrate the commitment he made after losing the venue, President Petro will make a brief stopover on his trip to Antarctica to pass through Chile and visit President Gabriel Boric, to seek support. He will then meet with Neven Ilic, the president of Panam Sports.
According to Petro, in his meeting with Ilic, he will try to "clear up the misunderstandings and give the assurances that Colombia must hold the Games." He claims that it was not bad intentions, but bureaucratic problems caused by inexperienced officials led to the non-payment of the necessary and promised guarantees to host the biggest sporting event after the Olympics.
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